


Think no Evil

by AltruisticSkittles



Series: What a Nightmare [2]
Category: Thomas Sanders
Genre: Amnesia, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Comas - Freeform, Gen, Psychological Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-03-29 21:49:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13936128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AltruisticSkittles/pseuds/AltruisticSkittles
Summary: Logan doesn't get sick. That's just a fact. So the obvious answer is he's dying.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a sister fic to Hear no Evil, which takes place while these events are happening. You don't need to read Hear No Evil to understand it, but it's kinda bonus material. There are things that happen in that story that cross over here. BUT it's also horror, so only read if you're ready.
> 
> That being said, if you haven't read it, hello! Welcome :D Thanks for stopping by~
> 
> This is going to be a bit of a thriller, depending on what your definition of a thriller is. I don't know how long it'll be yet, but I know where I'm going with it. No spoilers though :D
> 
> Enjoy~
> 
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: Talks of illness, Falling, Death mentions (because Logan can be kinda dumb for someone so smart)  
> Word count: 1729

Logan knew many things. He knew how many minutes were in a year (thank you very much, Roman). He knew the Gettysburg address by heart, the quickest way to get to work from home when Thomas overslept, what the powerhouse of the cell was called, and what day the next meteor shower would be.

He also knew it was impossible for him to get sick.

That’s not saying the sides couldn’t get sick. He was there when Roman passed out on stage from getting too lightheaded. He was there when Virgil literally worried himself sick the night of the school dance. He was there when Patton took care of both of them and then got sick himself. 

But never him.

So, one could understand his confusion when he woke up feeling like he ran a marathon two minutes ago. His whole body ached, and he fell rather heavily into the kitchen chair after waking up. Wow, was he still tired! He rubbed a hand over his face and groaned.

Virgil, who was perched between the table and a cup of coffee, hummed.

“Well, someone pulled another all-nighter,” Virgil snarked, “You look horrible.”

Logan merely moaned in reply.

“Good morning,” Patton’s too cheerful of a voice for this kind of morning chirped. “I made you some toast.”

“I’ll pass,” Logan grumbled.

Patton’s smile faltered. “You sure? It has your favorite jam on it.”

Logan sighed and brought his other hand to massage his forehead. He backed up as Patton’s hand pushed them out of the way.

“What are you-”

“Logan, you’re really warm,” Patton interrupted. “You feeling okay?”

“To be determined,” Logan replied. He pushed himself away from the table. “I must have had an unsatisfactory sleep last night. Perhaps it would be best if I-” he paused- “caught a few more z’s.”

Virgil tried to contain a snort as Patton sighed.

“Okay, kiddo. I trust you, but just… let me know if you need anything, okay?”

“I’ll keep that in my thoughts,” Logan replied. He stood up and passed Roman, not acknowledging his obnoxious morning greeting. His body still ached, and now he felt like someone kicked him in the gut. Logan held his stomach as he all but crawled up the stairs.

It was just a bad morning, that’s all.

Logan curled up on his bed, cradled his gut, and tossed to the side. Everywhere ached. No matter what position he turned in, the pain never subsided. He pushed his face into the pillow, pleading for it to disappear.

Something was wrong, but what?

Logan’s body convulsed as pain shot through his stomach.

Was he dying? It sure felt like he was dying.

Logan struggled to sit up. Whatever this was, he had to figure it out. Logan rolled out of bed and crept over to his library, cradling his stomach the whole time. His head spun as he stood, but it quickly stopped when he paused to catch his breath.

The library played a soft melody from Chopin’s Nocturne op.9 No.2 in E flat major. It was still too cheerful but slightly comforting to him. Logan stopped several times as his stomach kept fighting him, but he’d continue on as the pain pushed away.

Wonderful, his headache got worse.

Logan sauntered through the winding bookcases and toward the medical section. He paused at one of the desks and took in deep breaths. He was going to get through this. He couldn’t die; it was illogical. He wasn’t even technically alive.

Logan sorted through the books, picking out a few on fatigue and stomach cramps. Most of them lead to some sort of illness, and Logan pushed each one away. He didn’t get sick. He just didn’t.

“Logan?” Patton’s voice called through the library.

Logan groaned as he put a few books back. Of course Patton couldn’t leave him alone to sort this all out. He cursed his library’s ability to alert him of every intruder who walked in.

“Please, Patton, I’m busy,” Logan mumbled. However, he was thankful he could communicate with them wherever he was. It meant he didn’t have to stop his search.

“You sound awful,” Patton responded.

Logan refused to answer that.

Patton continued, “Where are you? I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine, Patton.”

Silence answered him. Logan took in a deep breath. Patton might have left, getting the hint and leaving him to his work in peace. However, Patton could be stubborn when something was wrong, and he was sure the moral side was wandering through his library to find him.

Logan climbed a ladder with a book tucked under his arm, careful not to drop it. He spied the empty hole he left before and slid it back in.

“There you are.”

Logan rested his head on the ladder as he moaned. The cool wood offered little support for his sore neck.

“I’m not in need of your services, Patton.”

“I just,” Patton sighed, “want to let you know I’m here for you.”

“As you pointed out before.”

“Well yeah, but, I know that you don’t like asking for help, so-”

“Leave me alone, Patton! I don’t need your frivolous emotions right now.” Logan’s harsh snap held his breath. He heard Patton’s hurt gasp behind him and instantly regretted it.

“Okay,” Patton’s voice was soft behind him. “I trust you, Logan. I’ll… I’ll leave you alone.”

Logan’s heart ached. He turned his head to look behind him. “Patton-”

His vision fuzzed as his head spun. Logan’s grip on the ladder slipped. He felt gravity reverse. Colors and blurs soared past him. Patton screamed his name. His body hit rock bottom and then nothing at all.

“Logan!” Patton ran to his side and shook his shoulder. When did Logan get so warm? He checked the side of his neck, checked for breathing, checked for any sign of life. His hands went to his mouth as he stared at his unconscious friend, way too still for his liking. The music in the library also deafened, making the pulse in Patton’s ears distracting.

Was anything broken? Could he safely move him? His breathing seemed to be fine, so no dislocated ribs. Patton shuffled his legs under Logan’s head, resting his head on his lap. No physical pain crossed Logan’s face at all. He ran a hand through Logan’s hair.

“Logan, can you hear me?” Patton asked. Logan refused to stir.

Patton looked around. Would the others hear him if he called out to them? He didn’t want to leave Logan alone. Patton rested his forehead against Logan’s, the heat unnerving against his own skin. He knew something was wrong. Why didn’t he stop him sooner?

He held back a sob. “Logan, please, wake up. I-I don’t know what to do.”

Patton wasn’t sure how long he sat there cradling Logan, pleading for him to be okay. Pleading for him to wake up. Pleading for this to be all some sort of horrible nightmare. He swallowed down his tears and kept his head pressed to Logan’s.

“Logan?” Roman’s voice, far away from there, called out. 

Patton’s heart jumped. “Roman, we’re here! We’re in the medical section!”

“Is everything okay?” Virgil asked, his voice carrying the normal level of worry.

Tears finally escaped Patton’s eyes.

“N-no, Logan’s hurt. Please, hurry!”

Virgil growled at Roman’s side, “I knew something was wrong.”

“Stay there,” Roman called out. “We’re coming to find you!”

Neither side particularly knew where they were going, so they focused on calling out to Patton for direction. It aided in keeping the emotional side somewhat calm. They rounded a corner. Patton tried to force a smile as they came into his sight.

“What happened?” Roman asked as he knelt down at Logan’s side.

“H-he fell,” Patton explained. “I knew something was wrong. I should’ve-”

“Shh,” Virgil’s hand rested on Patton’s shoulder, doing its best to ground him, “we all let him go. It’s not your fault.”

Patton sniffled an answer.

Roman looked through the books that Logan still had scattered across his work desk. Some of them remained open, all of them stuck on one page.

“You think… Logan might have the flu?” Roman asked.

Patton’s eyes widened. “I thought it could be, but Logan never got sick before.”

“First time for everything,” Virgil mumbled.

“Let’s get him upstairs.”

Patton assisted Logan into Roman’s arms. Virgil grabbed one of the books informing them about the flu. The three sides walked Logan up to his room and placed him on top of the comforter.

“We have to get that fever down before-” Roman noted as Logan’s overheating body left his arms, leaving him with a deathly cold shudder.

Virgil flipped through the book. “It says that damp cloths can be helpful for the head. It also helps if you can get some air circulation going. Ya know, to cool the body faster.”

Roman waved his hand over the nightstand and conjured a small fan. The breeze moved Logan’s hair about, some strands sticking to his forehead through the sweat. 

Roman started pacing about the room, his arms folded over his chest. Virgil watched him and kept fidgeting.

“Would you stop? You’re making me nervous.”

“Like that’s hard,” Roman scoffed. He stopped in his tracks and settled for stroking his chin instead. “He should be awake soon anyway, right?”

Virgil read over the book. “There’s nothing here that says the flu makes people lose consciousness.” He started flipping through the pages and froze at a section titled “head trauma”. His eyes skimmed over it, his lips moving with the words.

“What’s it say?” Patton asked as he leaned over.

“I think,” Virgil swallowed, “I think he might’ve got a concussion, but don’t worry. It says here that people don’t usually lose consciousness for long.”

“Yeah, but he fell from two stories,” Patton spoke. “That’s not just a bump on the head from a football or anything.”

“I guess, we’ll just have to see where this goes,” Roman spoke. “I fear something ill might’ve befallen him, worse than the flu or a simple concussion.”

“Try to look on the bright side,” Virgil mumbled. “Being dark and depressing is my job.”

Roman hummed in reply.

Patton took in a deep breath and exhaled right away. “We just gotta keep up hope. He’ll pull through this.”

At least, he hoped Logan would pull through this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sides aren’t the only ones having problems with Logan’s illness.  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: Anxiety attacks, Crying  
> Word Count: 1813

They knew Thomas would find out about Logan eventually. They didn’t expect, however, to be summoned all at the same time while trying to help him.

Thomas sat on his couch, his hands on his kneecaps and eyebrows twisted into confusion. He watched each side rise up, surprisingly quiet, and settled his gaze on Patton. The moral side tried to offer a smile, but even with his puffy eyes and stained cheeks, it was easy to tell something was very, very wrong.

“Patton, you okay?” Thomas asked.

Patton stiffened. He swallowed thickly and glanced at the other sides. “I’m… not kinda sorta really un-okay.”

“Okay,” Thomas rose a brow. He turned toward Roman and Virgil next.

Roman chuckled. “We don’t want to worry you Thomas-” Virgil snorted- “but Logan had a series of unfortunate events befall him.”

The choice of wording made Virgil’s eyes roll.

Thomas’s brows rose to his hairline. “Is he okay?”

“We think it’s just the flu,” Virgil responded. He looked ready to continue, but a quick glance at Patton stopped him in his tracks.

“Well, you guys have gotten sick before, so this shouldn’t be too much of a problem,” Thomas recalled. “Right?”

“Of course,” Roman replied. “Our pal Logan will be up on his feet and slaying with his words once again in no time.”

“Is there a reason you called us, kiddo?” Patton asked.

Thomas took a deep breath, held it, and harshly exhaled. “I just felt… off, is all. I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“Everything will be fine,” Roman said with a wink. “Now, if that’s all you needed us for, you really should start your day. You have some line readings to go over with Joan at their house, and I’d really, really appreciate it if you weren’t late.”

Thomas smiled and shook his head. “Yeah, thanks, Roman.”

“I’m looking forward to aiding you,” Roman spoke as he synced out.

Thomas looked between Patton and Virgil, both who were rather quiet. Virgil shrugged and gave a quick finger guns with a click of his tongue before syncing out. Patton drew a shaky breath, gave a nod and a smile, and left Thomas alone.

Well… that wasn’t awkward at all.

Thomas sighed and walked up his stairs. He stopped in his room and stared in his closet. Grabbing a pair of blue shorts and his Steven Universe shirt, he combed through his hair and set out to start his day.

The cold air bit into his bare limbs. He shivered and hurried to his car, hoping he wasn’t too late. His journey began with maybe one or two… or three missed turns, but he arrived at Joan’s house uninjured. When he stopped his car, he noted his phone shown two missed calls from Joan. They must’ve tried calling while he was driving. Thomas turned off his car, stepped out into the cold air again, and knocked on Joan’s door.

Joan opened it and let out a sigh of relief. “I was starting to get worried. You were supposed to get here an hour ago.” They surveyed Thomas’s outfit. “That’s a bit cold for winter, don’t you think?”

“Sorry, I got lost,” Thomas answered, ignoring the second part. Joan hummed in response and let Thomas in. They closed the door and watched Thomas sit on the couch.

“You okay, Thomas?” Joan asked.

Thomas looked up and smiled. “Yeah, why?”

“Well, because,” Joan let out a light laugh, “you always take your shoes off when you come over.”

“I do?” Thomas looked down. “Oh, yeah. Right! Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine, don’t even worry about it,” Joan replied. They took a seat next to Thomas and cleared their throat. “Okay, so I thought we could start on page 12.” They looked up. “You did remember your script, right?”

Thomas’s eyes widened. “Oh! I didn’t-”

“It’s okay, I’ll share. It’s no big deal.” Joan sighed and adjusted their beanie. They handed half the book to Thomas and cleared their throat.

Roman squealed inside Thomas’s mind, ready to provide the voice and movements to accompany them. For a moment, Thomas let Roman take over, giving him a brilliant performance. Joan finished the reading and smiled.

“So, you think that’s okay?”

“Hmm?” Thomas looked up.

“The reading,” Joan replied. “You think that’s the route we should go in?”

“Oh, of course!” Thomas replied. “You were great.”

Joan smiled and mumbled, “Thanks.” They paused and took the book. Thomas quirked a brow.

“You okay?”

“I got a bit worried there for no reason, is all.” Joan answered. They looked at the time. “Talyn should be home for supper soon, if you want to stay over.”

“No, it’s fine,” Thomas replied. “I should probably get back anyway. I have an appointment later.”

“With Netflix?”

“You know I can’t cancel.”

Joan laughed and shook their head. “Whatever, Thomas, just be careful, okay?”

Thomas said a quick good-bye to Joan, hoped his car heaters would warm up fast, and started to drive home. He got to the stop sign at the end of the street and froze.

Home was that way.

Right?

Thomas looked left, right, and left again. He pulled slowly through the intersection, his nerves beginning to rise. Did… did he really just forget where he lived? How could he forget where he lived? Well sure, he only moved there a year ago, but still-

A horn blared as Thomas nearly ran a red light. He slammed on his breaks and sat there, panting in his seat. His heart pounded. Thomas scratched his hands through his hair.

“It’s okay,” he muttered to himself. “You’ll figure this out, Thomas.” He gripped the steering wheel, watching his knuckles change from red to white, and waited for the light to change.

By the time Thomas finally stopped the car, he was out of breath. He wandered into the nearby park, his senses reeling, and rubbed his arms. Where was he? What was he doing here? Why was he outside in the cold with barely anything on?

Thomas collapsed in a park bench. He drew his legs close to his chest. He shivered and swallowed thickly. Easy, Thomas, take some deep breaths. It was going to be okay. It was going to be okay. It was going to be-

His phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and squinted at the screen. Joan’s face appeared, and Thomas could’ve cried. He swiped the green button to the left and answered it.

“Hey, Thomas-”

“Joan,” Thomas’s voice shook.

Joan’s questions laced with concern, “What happened? Are you okay?”

Thomas bit back a sob. “No. I don’t know where I am. I can’t even remember where I’m going.”

“Okay, take some deep breaths for me,” Joan replied. “You want me to come get you.”

“Please,” Thomas whimpered. He’s breathing shuddered. “Would you stay on the phone with me?”

A pause.

“Joan?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, I was talking to Talyn. They’re going to drive me over so I can stay on the phone with you, okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Thomas, can you describe where you are to me?”

Thomas looked around. The streetlights offered little support, but he could tell a city was nearby. He relayed how a highway towered two stories over to his left, and a statue of a girl and a dog was in the center of the park.

For a half hour, all Joan did was talk to Thomas. At first, Joan tried asking Thomas simple questions, like what his mom’s name was, how many brothers he had, where he went to school. Simple questions like that Thomas could answer.

However, when Joan tried to talk about their newest video, Thomas couldn’t recall anything. He didn’t remember he started doing YouTube full time, where he went on the tour, or what he was planning on doing when he got home.

Thomas tried to rub warmth back in his arms. He was sure his fingers froze to the phone by now since they refused to move.

“I think I see you,” Joan spoke. Thomas would’ve cried if he had anymore tears left. He heard a car door slam in the distance, and two people ran over to him. At least he still recognized Joan and Talyn.

“God, Thomas, what are you-” Talyn started, “Why didn’t you wait in your car?”

Thomas’s eyes widened. “I have a car?”

Talyn sucked in a breath and looked at Joan. The latter had a blanket in their hands and held it out. Thomas wrapped it around his body, now trembling from the cold. Joan and Talyn both lead him over to their car.

Thomas slid in the passenger’s seat of Joan’s car, and Talyn offered to drive Thomas’s car behind them. He rested his forehead against the cool glass of the window. Lights blurred in his vision. He took in a deep breath, thankful he wasn’t alone anymore, and allowed his eyes to close.

Joan shook his shoulder to wake him. He looked over and smiled.

“Hey, Joan. What are you doing here?”

Joan’s lips forced into a smile. “You’re staying the night at my house.”

“Oh?” Thomas looked up. “You have a nice house.”

“Thank you,” Joan unbuckled their seat belt and slid out of the car. They paused as Talyn pulled up behind him, slid out, and closed their door.

“How is he?”

Joan sighed. “I don’t really know. He’s just… really out of it. He fell asleep in the car; maybe he’s just really tired.”

“I hope so,” Talyn replied as they bit their nail. Joan watched Thomas step out of the car door and close it. He smiled at the two of them and waved. They both nervously waved back, and Talyn walked over to put their hand on Thomas’s back. Gently, they guided him toward the house. Joan unlocked the front door, and the trio stepped inside.

Thomas’s stomach broke the silence.

“Have you had anything to eat?” Talyn asked.

Thomas’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t remember.”

His stomach growled again.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

Talyn lead him into the living room and sat him on the couch. Joan sat beside him, making sure he didn’t move, and waited for Talyn to return. They set a plate of fresh spaghetti in front of Thomas, and he did his best to eat it without making a mess. Through his meal, Joan and Talyn kept exchanging worried looks. Thomas would stop, stare off in the distance, then continue his work.

Talyn got the guest bedroom ready, and Joan loaned Thomas some spare pajamas to wear. They were a size too small, but at least they were warmer and more comfortable than summer clothes. They both tucked Thomas into bed.

“Night guys,” Thomas called out. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Talyn and Joan replied and shut the door, leaving Thomas to fall asleep on his own.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It appears Thomas isn't the only one having problems with Logan's absence.  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: Anxiety attacks, Arguing, minor self-depreciation moment  
> Word count: 1960

“What was that?” Roman asked as he threw his arms out wide. “You made Thomas panic so much he forgot everything! You’re lucky Joan called, or we could still be frozen on the park bench, like some fragile, kind-hearted old woman who stays out to feed the birds in the cold.”

Virgil sat on the couch, chewing his nails, knees drawn up to his chest and eyes distant. His breaths came quick and uneven, and he kept swallowing thickly.

“Are you even listening to me?”

Roman stopped his pacing and snapped his fingers in front of Virgil’s eyes. No response. He growled and grabbed his shoulders.

“Virgil-”

Virgil screamed and jumped, backing into the couch. His eyes widened, and he hugged his legs closer to his chest. His breathing speed doubled, and he rested his forehead on his knees.

Roman growled in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. 

“This is no time to be you-”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Virgil snapped his head up. “You think I like making Thomas feel like this? You think I want him alone and scared and forgetting everything because I can’t calm down?”

“I wonder sometimes.”

“Wait, hold on. I’m sorry. Since when did this become my fault? It started when you got him excited to get going. Why didn’t you dress him better?”

Roman scoffed, “Don’t you flip this on me, you-”

Virgil growled and put his head back on his knees. Tears of anger pricked his eyes, and he tried to calm his breathing. Technique. He needed to remember the technique-

“Would you calm down, already? There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Virgil snorted, “Well, honestly, you’re not helping.”

A door opened and closed, and the two watched as Patton descended the stairs. His eyes were half-lidded, and he let out a yawn. He stopped on the landing and blinked at the two of them.

“I just got Thomas to sleep,” he mumbled. “Could you guys please keep it down?”

“It’s not my fault,” Roman replied. “Talk to Elsa over here, because he refuses to let his stupid panic attack go.”

Patton’s eyes drifted over to Virgil, and he exhaled through his nose. He sat beside him on the couch and put his hands on his knees.

“It’s going to be okay, kiddo.”

“Is it?” Virgil asked without looking up.

Patton sighed. He chose his next words carefully and smiled.

“We just have to think on the bright side. We all made it through getting sick, right?”

“But this is Logan. As long as we’ve known him, he’s never gotten sick. What if this is the start of something much worse? What if he starts to disappear, like the others? What if-”

“Logan is not a trait,” Roman said with a roll of his eyes. “One does not simply “lose” their logic.” He paused. “Right?”

Patton bit his lip. He looked at the both of them, each asking Patton for an answer he couldn’t give. He stood up and straightened out his shirt.

“Look, we’re all exhausted. Why don’t we get some sleep? Maybe Logan will be awake in the morning too.”

“I don’t wanna sleep,” Virgil mumbled.

“Please, don’t,” Roman rolled his eyes. “I have enough nightmares to fight off at night. I don’t need yours too.”

Patton’s eyes snapped over to Roman, silencing the other side. He took in a deep breath and walked past the both of them.

“I’m going to sleep in Logan’s room tonight, okay? I wanna be there when he wakes up.”

“Good night,” Roman called out. He turned his attention to Virgil, shook his head, and retreated up the stairs to his own room.

Virgil laid down on the couch, keeping his knees close, and cradled a pillow in his arms. He didn’t want to sleep. He didn’t want to face the nightmares, but he was exhausted. 

Hopefully, in the morning, they’d all be a little less worried.

\--

Virgil woke in the middle of the night, his heart racing. He looked around the living room, the kitchen still dark. A blanket fell off his torso, and he noticed Patton’s handwriting on the tag. For a moment, his unease dissipated.

“Patton?” he called out, wondering if the moral side awoke early. He pulled the blanket around his shoulders and walked into the kitchen. After squinting at the coffee machine and realizing 3 am was way too early to wake up, he crawled back over to the couch.

Virgil tried to close his eyes again, but the butterflies in his stomach persisted. Something was wrong. He didn’t know what, but something plagued his nerves and set a deep fire in his stomach. 

A shadow shifted in the corner of Virgil’s vision. Now alerted, he sprung back up. His eyes rested on a corner of the room, his heart racing. He sighed and wrapped the blanket around him once again. 

“No, Virgil, you’re just tired. It’s nothing. Nothing at all-”

The shadow moved, sliding up the stairs and into the hall. Virgil’s heart pounded against his ribcage. He threw the blanket off him and stumbled up the stairs. 

Other than the noise coming from Roman’s room, presenting the usual Broadway productions he called a dream, the hallway was unnervingly silent.

The nightlight from Patton’s room illuminated the hallway. Virgil crept down the narrow path. He opened the door to Patton's room a little wider and peered inside. Patton said he was going to sleep in Logan’s room, but perhaps it became too much for him. His room was his sanctuary after all.

“Patton?” Virgil called out. Nothing stirred. He stepped into the room and noted Patton’s bed in the unmade glory that it was. Huh, no Patton. 

The hairs on the back of Virgil’s neck rose. He turned around as a shadow disappeared from the doorway. Patton’s door slammed shut, knocking the night light out with it.

“Hey!” Virgil called out. He stumbled over to the door and twisted the handle, but it refused to move. Virgil’s heartbeat crescendoed. He pounded on the door. “Hey, let me out!”

Already, Virgil could feel his nerves rising. No, this wasn’t good. Why was he here? What was he thinking? Where- what was going on? He had to get out. He had to get out. Escape. He had to get out.

Patton’s room amplified Virgil’s anxiety to the point where he couldn’t think straight. His shoulders shook as he took in deep breaths.

“Patton, Roman!” Virgil’s voice deepened. “Someone open the door! I’m stuck-”

Virgil slid down the door on his back. He pulled his knees to his chest and started rocking. Okay, breathing. Remember your breathing. 

“Virgil?” Patton’s sleepy voice called through the door. “What are you doing in my room?”

“I-I can’t. I can’t. The door. It’s stuck. Can’t-” Virgil stammered.

“Okay, kiddo, I’ll get you out,” Patton called. He heard the door trying to twist open. Virgil swallowed hard. He heard Patton’s frustrated hum outside the door.

“What? What’s? Patton-”

“Is it locked from the inside?” 

Virgil took in a breath. “Can’t. Can’t see.”

“Okay, hang on. I have a spare key around here somewhere,” Patton’s voice left the door. 

Hurry, Virgil wanted to call out. His throat closed up. He couldn’t get enough air. Which way was up? He coughed to try and clear his throat. A deep inhale choked him again, and he spat the air back out.

The door behind him moved, and Virgil tried to stand but lost his balance. Patton flipped the light switch on. He took a deep breath as he spied Virgil on the floor, a panting mess, and kneeled down beside him.

“Virgil-”

“Out. Get me out.” Virgil curled into a ball.

“Okay, I’m going to touch you, is that-”

“Please!”

Patton uncurled Virgil, grabbed him by the shoulders, and slid him out to the safety of the hall. He pulled his door closed, forgetting to turn the light off, and sat cross-legged on the floor. Virgil pulled himself into a sitting position and cradled his head in his hand. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Virgil,” Patton spoke. 

“I can’t-” Virgil stammered- “I can’t-”

“You can’t what?” Patton asked.

“Talking. Keep talking.”

“Okay.” Patton twisted his fingers together. “Well, I know you’re scared, so I-”

Patton’s voice blurred together, and Virgil did his best to focus. Why wasn’t it working? What was missing? He slowed his breathing, but his heart still pounded. Unease crept up his spine. He should be calming down. Patton’s voice always calmed him down.

Unless… he wasn't the one in danger.

The noise from Roman’s room stopped. He stepped out into the hall, annoyance etched all over his face.

“Do you mind? It’s rather rude to interrupt a theater show during the performance.”

Patton shushed him, and Roman’s jaw floundered. He opened it to speak again but stopped when he caught Virgil on the floor. Virgil’s senses cleared enough that he could stand. Logan’s door rested ajar, and Virgil stepped inside, leaving Patton calling after him.

 

A dark shadow stood over Logan, its sharp teeth pulled into a smile. Virgil clenched his hands. He turned on the light. It screamed and collapsed into the cracks on the floor.

Patton and Roman entered the room in time for the black sludge coating Logan’s bed to fall to the floor. It retreated between the cracks and slid under Logan’s library door. Virgil’s breathing composed itself, and he put a hand on the nightstand for balance. 

“What in the world was that?” Roman questioned.

“That,” Virgil pointed out, “was an Intrusive thought, an evil little bastard that gets inside your head and makes you think bad stuff. It must’ve got out.”

“So it’s like a nightmare?” Patton questioned.

Virgil dry laughed and replied, “Oh it’s a nightmare alright.”

“Wait, what do you mean it “got out”?” Roman fidgeted as he looked around the room. “Where did it come from?”

Virgil swallowed hard and brushed Logan’s hair off his forehead. His breathing calmed at Virgil’s touch, returning to an even pace. Virgil ran a hand through his hair and sighed, pushing the question past him.

“We can’t let that thing near him,” Virgil spoke.

“You think it had something to do with Logan’s illness?”

Virgil sighed. “I don’t know, but I do know it’ll keep going after him if he can’t defend himself. It… usually goes toward the weakest mind it can find.”

“How come we’ve never seen it before?” Patton asked and furrowed his brows. “Where has it been hiding?”

“D-” Virgil’s hand clasped over his mouth. He swallowed hard, waited until he could pull his hand away, and tried again. “Thomas’s subconscious, but lately it’s been in my room a lot. It usually… I can usually chase it off, but-”

Virgil clenched his hand along with his jaw. He took in a deep breath and looked up at Logan’s once again neutral expression. 

Patton’s lips pulled into a sympathetic expression. “You mean, this whole time, you’ve been fighting off that monster alone, and you never told us?”

“Better you than me,” Virgil dry laughed. “I can put up with it.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell us?”

“You never cared-” Virgil stopped and looked away. He thought for a moment. “I didn’t want to bother you with it.”

“Now you listen here,” Patton’s voice was eerily calm and controlled. “Whatever this thing is, we’re going to get rid of it together, okay? It won’t hurt you or Logan ever again.”

Virgil snorted. He wanted to tell Patton he was wrong. He wanted to tell Patton its rightful master would never let it die, and the fact that it was out would spell trouble in the future. He settled on inhaling and exhaling through his nose.

“Okay.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the sides try to figure out what to do about the Intrusive thought, Joan and Thomas are seeking answers of their own.  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: there's a heavy dose of memory loss talk... it's kinda sad... that's about it  
> Word count: 1643

“Thomas?” 

Joan shook his shoulder, and Thomas flinched back into the present. He stared down at the bowl of cereal before him.

“I’m really starting to get worried about you,” Joan sighed. Thomas looked over at his friend and offered a smile, but it disappeared. “Did something happen?”

Thomas blinked. How was he supposed to tell Joan that there’s an actual living Logan inside of him and that Logan was going through something… something.

“I guess I’m just losing my mind,” Thomas joked, but after forgetting what he did before arriving at the kitchen table, he wasn’t so sure how far off it was.

“Maybe we should take you to the doctor,” Talyn commented. “Did you hit your head recently or anything?”

“I don’t think so,” Thomas mumbled. Even if he did, he probably wouldn’t remember. He rubbed his head to confirm his theory.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and get dressed. I’ll call the doc and let them know you’re on your way.”

Thomas nodded, leaving Joan and Talyn to whisper to each other in the kitchen. He nearly stumbled up the stairs and stared at the doors. Which one was his again? He turned into the bathroom first, then a computer room, and finally, through his frustration, he settled on a room with a twin sized bed and tossed blankets.

He perched himself on the bed and drew his knees up to his chest.

“I could really use a pep talk, Patton,” he mumbled to himself. He waited a moment and watched Patton arrive in the corner. A sigh of relief left his lips.

“Hey there, kiddo,” his smile wide on his face, but it faltered. “You okay? You look kind of-”

“Off?”

“More like off-ul.”

Thomas sighed.

Patton’s smile disappeared as he continued, “What’s got you down?”

“I was kinda hoping you could help me out with that,” Thomas mumbled. “I feel like I’m losing myself.”

“Nonsense,” Roman’s voice chirped. He rose from the floor and appeared to Patton’s left. “I mean, sure, we had a rough day yesterday, but today is a fresh start! Why don’t we go out and make the most of it?”

“Gosh, I don’t know,” Thomas put his head in his hands. Patton and Roman exchanged a glance.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Roman asked.

“That’s the problem,” Thomas mumbled. “I don’t have any.”

“I know that feeling,” Patton piped up.

“No, I mean, I literally can’t think sometimes. I just kind of… lock up and reset.” Thomas ran a hand through his hair. “Guys, I’m scared. Sometimes I don’t know where I am or what I’m doing.”

“We know,” Roman spoke. “But don’t lose hope, Thomas. Soon Logan will be back to himself, and so will you.”

“I hope so,” Thomas mumbled. 

“Well,” Patton sighed. “Maybe we can have Virgil pop up and talk to you through your nerves a bit. He’s with Logan right now, so-”

“Who?”

Patton paused. “Logan… we were just-”

“No, who’s Virgil?” Thomas questioned.

Roman’s eyes widened as his lips floundered. “Virgil. You know… Emo Nightmare, Jack Smellington, My Chem-”

“You mean Anxiety?” Thomas rose a brow.

“Well, yeah,” Patton replied. “Don’t you remember-” His hands went to his lips in a gasp, and he shared a glance in Roman’s direction.

“Thomas, who are we?” Roman asked.

“Well, that’s easy. You’re Roman, and you’re-” Thomas paused- “Patton, right?”

Patton’s heart broke a bit with that pause.

“Yes,” Roman answered, drawing out the word. The confusion on Thomas’s face ate away at his conscience a bit. “You keep reminding yourself that, Thomas.”

Thomas nodded. He sighed and kept twisting his hands around one another. “We’re going somewhere. I don’t remember where, but I think I’m supposed to be getting dressed.”

“Sounds like a grand adventure,” Roman responded.

“Try to borrow a sweater from Joan or Talyn, okay?” Patton asked. 

“Yes, we don’t want to repeat what happened last night,”

Thomas’s eyes widened. “Why? What happened last night?”

Roman’s brow creased as he offered a smile. “It’s not important. What is important is you get to your friends.” So we know you’re safe, he wanted to add but left it alone. 

The two sides returned to the mind palace, both rather shook from their encounter with Thomas and his fading memory. 

\--

Thomas kept fidgeting in his seat. He hated waiting for the doctor on normal days, but constantly forgetting if he saw the doctor or not was getting old. Joan sat beside him, reminding him every time he asked what was going on, and kept checking their watch. Apparently, thirty minutes had passed. Thomas groaned.

The door opened again, and a doctor stepped in with a clipboard.

“Which one of you is Mr. Sanders?” the doctor asked.

Thomas raised his hand with a lopsided smile.

“My name is Dr. Williams,” the doctor introduced. “I hear you’re having some memory problems, Mr. Sanders.”

Thomas nodded his head.

The doctor continued, “When did you notice it starting?”

Thomas furrowed his brows. His leg bounced up and down. 

“I noticed it at my house yesterday,” Joan spoke, and Thomas mentally thanked them for taking over. “It was little things at first, but then when I called him up, he couldn’t remember where he lived. I picked him up at a park about 30 minutes away from his house.”

The doctor hummed and wrote down the information.

“Any changes in mood?”

Thomas shook his head. “Maybe a little nervous.”

“Anxious, you’d say?”

“Yeah, but I’m a pretty anxious person,” Thomas replied, “That’s not really unusual.”

The doctor hummed and asked Thomas if it was okay to take a few of his vitals. His heartbeat was checked, along with his reflexes, eye dilation, and blood pressure.

“I’m not quite sure what to tell you. I have my suspicions-” The doctor looked up- “but I am referring you to a neurologist in our branch, Dr. Hassel, who should be able to help you.”

“Thank you,” Thomas spoke, his sigh of relief escaping bitten lips.

“And since I’m rather concerned, I’m going to see if the office can take you this afternoon.” The doctor smiled. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you farther.”

 

The two thanked the doctor for their time and made their way to their next appointment.

Joan walked with Thomas out to the car, grabbing his wrist to keep him from wandering after a dog he saw walking by. Usually, Joan would smile at Thomas’s stray mind, but this felt unnatural. They helped Thomas into his seat and drove a half hour to the neurologist’s office.

By the time the doctor got there to inspect Thomas, he couldn’t even remember visiting Dr. Williams at all. Joan watched the doctor’s concerned expression carefully. They knew something, and Joan didn’t like it. The doctor left the room and the two alone for almost fifteen minutes.

Joan couldn’t help but notice how glassy Thomas’s eyes looked. They reached over and offered their hand.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna get through this.”

Thomas offered a small smile and took Joan’s hand. The two of them took in a deep breath at the same time and released it. 

The doctor soon returned, making the two of them jump.

“Well, I have some troubling news,” the doctor spoke. “You’re exhibiting some stages of early dementia, which is rare for someone your age, but not unheard of. I’m requesting you switch to a Mediterranean diet if you can until we can run a few more tests and find the route of the problem. That means lots of seafood, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts.” The doctor raised a brow. “And less pizza.”

Thomas groaned at that.

“Also, I need the late night patterns to stop. Get a decent night’s rest from now until our next meeting, if possible. If you’re having problems sleeping, let us know, and we’ll get you back in sooner. I’m going to hold off on prescribing medication for a bit until we’re certain this is the case.”

“Thank you,” Joan spoke for Thomas, who appeared to lose his voice at the moment.

“Call if you see any changes in mood or behavior,” the doctor spoke, “and I’m requesting he stay with someone he trusts until this can be sorted through. Someplace familiar where he can get into a comfortable schedule.”

“Of course,” Joan responded. They walked Thomas out of the office, who was still focused on the word “dementia”, and into their car.

Joan kept glancing out of the corner of their eyes as they drove. “I can call your mom and dad if you don’t want to keep staying with me and Talyn.”

“Yeah,” Thomas replied.

“You want me to drop you off at your place to go get some of your things?” Joan asked.

Thomas furrowed his brows. He should still have stuff at his parent’s house, right? His brain ached as he tried to remember. He rubbed his temples and asked Joan to take him home to pack up some necessary items.

After taking fifteen minutes to figure out which key went to his front door, Thomas walked in and looked around. Nothing looked familiar. He rubbed his arms as he climbed the stairs to his room. Or at least, he hoped this was the way to his room. He could hear Joan speaking to his parents below, their voice hushed but understandable.

Thomas stood in front of his closet, picking out shirts he liked and a few pairs of pants. He didn’t know how long he’d be gone, and he wanted to make sure he had enough to wear. A quick travel to the bathroom got his soap, shampoo, toothbrush, and toothpaste. After sitting on his suitcase to close it, he returned downstairs to Joan’s waiting presence.

“You ready?” Joan asked.

Thomas nodded. Honestly, after today, all he wanted to do was go home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil wonders if he can find anything out in the library. Well... he does find something.  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: Gaslighting, but that's not new to this series  
> Word count: 1932

After the Intrusive thought attacked Logan, the sides agreed to take turns guarding their unconscious friend.

Patton took the morning hours. He made various food items for Logan, stating he’d probably be hungry when he woke up. Forget the idea he didn’t need food. Patton would whisper encouraging words, telling Logan he believed in him and he could wake up when he was ready. Occasionally, the other two would find him lying beside Logan, running his fingers through his hair and humming a comforting song. It sounded like a lullaby Thomas’s mother sang long ago.

After eight hours, Roman would take over for the afternoon. He had to practically push Patton out. Roman chose to sit at the edge of Logan’s bed, usually with a hand on his leg, or he would pace about the floor while deep in thought. To entertain himself, and Logan as well, he’d make up stories off the top of his head. Usually, they’d feature Logan’s intelligence saving the day. Roman had to clear his throat several times during the story, his voice numb and throat dry, but after Patton brought some water up for the both of them, his stories never stopped.

Virgil took the night hours. He knew he wouldn’t be sleeping anyway, and neither Roman or Patton were equipt to stay up all hours of the night. He would play music, ones he knew Logan would enjoy but usually put Virgil to sleep. Every so often, he’d play something to wake himself up, the somber music easing his soul. Perhaps Logan would wake up and tell him to shut it off. At least, that’s what he hoped. He usually perched on a dining room chair from downstairs with the back propped up against the library door. That thing wouldn’t be sneaking past him again.

Logan’s room felt emptier each day. Its pull to dull their emotions weakened as the clock ticked minutes then hours away. Something was wrong. They all knew they shouldn’t have had to watch Logan sleep this long.

As the sun’s rays peeked through Logan’s windows, Virgil stretched in his chair. A glance at Logan’s clock showed 7 am. Patton would be coming up soon. Virgil looked back at Logan and sighed. Logan still slept, his face reminiscent of his waking self but still so wrong. 

Virgil rubbed the chill off his arms. There had to be some reason Logan still slept. He looked behind him at the library doors, an idea crossing his mind. Maybe there would be something in there to help them out. 

He didn’t want to leave Logan alone, however. What if the creature got through? He took a deep breath and considered his options. He could wait for Patton to come up, but he knew Patton would want to help. He could get Roman to cover his shift, but he was sure the creative side was exhausted from trying to help Thomas get to sleep. That monster was in the library yet. If he played his cards right, it wouldn’t be able to sneak past him. Besides, the sun was rising, and Virgil knew it hated bright lights.

He knew all its tricks.

After sliding the chair away from the doors, Virgil stepped inside Logan’s library. It held no music and sat eerily still. His boots clopped against the floors as he sauntered in. The sun’s rays barely peeked through the stained glass windows, leaving sections of the library covered in a blanket of shadow.

As he walked through the shelves, goosebumps rose on his skin. The hairs on his neck bristled, and a chill ran up his spine. Something felt off. Virgil cursed his power of figuring out disturbances but never knowing what caused them. It was the most useless superpower. 

Retracing his steps from the other day, he found the medical section. His eyebrows creased. Several black holes, like missing teeth in a smile, lined the ledges. Logan’s desk was clear of all books he had pulled the other day. A book fell to its side, making Virgil jump.

He was sure these shelves were full the other day.

Virgil’s fingers slid across the books as he read the titles. There were a few books on head injuries he pulled out, leaving more gaping holes in the shelves. He sat down at the desk, plopped the books over to the side, and pulled out one to read.

Every section he read disturbed him more. There were sections about how the memory could fade, how the brain could be forever altered by a hit on the head (which he was sure Logan did on his fall down), and some that even spoke of losing bits of your personality.

But the one that stood out to him was the section on comas.

Apparently, people in a coma couldn’t be woken up, unless given proper treatment for the issue that caused the coma. It could last days or weeks, and sometimes years, often caused by drug overdose, but head trauma was on the list.

A different fear pooled in Virgil’s gut. What if… what if Logan never woke up?

Virgil heard a few books fall to his right. His head shot up, and he squinted. The hair on his arm rose, and he stood up in his seat, clutching the book close to his chest.

“I know you’re here,” he called out. He took careful steps forward, noting how the library was still covered in a thick shadow. “You can’t fool me. I see right through you and your tricks.”

A low whoosh sounded behind him. Virgil turned, his eyes scanning the room. Every shadow looked like a threat. Every dark corner seemed to move. Virgil swallowed thickly.

He turned in time to see a black mass slam into his head. It wrapped around his eyes and squeezed. Virgil dropped the book on instinct and tried to pull it off. His body flew backward into a bookshelf. 

His head was pinned against the wood, and he smelled the creature’s sour breath as it hit his face.

“You really think you can protect him?” it hissed. “You couldn’t keep him safe the first time. You can’t keep any of them safe. All you do is make them afraid for no reason. They don’t need you, Virgil. You’re useless.”

“That’s not true,” Virgil responded, doing his best to keep his breathing under control. 

“Don’t lie to yourself. No one cares about you, and you know it. You even said so yourself.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Virgil shot back.

“Then why are you shaking?”

Virgil’s head pressed harder into the back of the bookshelf. He grabbed on to the creature’s hand holding him in place and pushed. It merely laughed. 

The creature’s voice dripped like venom, “Not as strong without the safety of your room, now are you?”

Virgil swallowed what was left in his throat.

“Why Logan? You and I both know your fight is with me.”

“Please,” he could hear the creature roll its eyes. “I’m only going after the weaker mind because you bore me.” 

“Logan’s not weak.”

“Compared to you? No, not yet.” It hummed. “I must say, I’m a bit disappointed though. It’s not as big a challenge as I thought to make him unravel.”

From his right, he heard rapid footsteps running toward them.

“Virgil!” Patton’s voice echoed.

He heard metal scrape as Roman growled, “Let him go.”

The creature’s body shook as it chuckled. It let the pressure off on Virgil’s head, allowing him to fall onto his hands and knees. The sludge on his eyes, however, remained.

“Finally, a challenge,” the creature growled. Virgil heard the creature leave his side and slide toward the others. Roman cried out, and a large woosh followed after. Virgil pulled again at the black slime over his eyes, but it held fast.

“Virgil, are you okay?” Patton asked from his side. 

He grunted as he pulled again, “I’m fine, but I can’t get it off.”

Roman’s sword bit into the wood with a heavy thunk. He grunted as he struggled to pull it out.

“Here, I’ll help you-”

“No, I need you to get a flashlight or something that makes a bright light,” Virgil spoke. “It can’t stand bright lights.”

Virgil heard Roman pull his sword from the wood, and a loud crash followed soon after. Roman cried out, and the sword clattered. Roman groaned and gasped.

“Roman, conjure a flashlight!” Patton called out.

The creature’s body whipped as it lashed out. Virgil heard it scream, its voice garbling. It sailed past them, leaving a large gust of wind in its wake. The veil from his eyes started to disintegrate as well. He flicked the black slime off his face and took in deep breaths.

“You okay?” Patton asked. Virgil looked up at Patton’s wide eyes and relieved smile.

“I’m fine,” Virgil replied. He looked over at Roman, holding a flashlight in front of him, propped against a bookcase, and panting.

“Roman,” Patton called out. 

Roman’s head turned to them, relief in his eyes, and pulled himself to a standing position. He walked over to his sword to retrieve it.

“That wasn’t so bad,” he spoke, still out of breath.

Virgil rolled his eyes. 

“What were you thinking?” Patton asked as he turned his head back to Virgil. “You could’ve gotten hurt. Or worse-”

“I know, it was stupid,” Virgil replied. “I thought it wouldn’t come out while there was light in the library.” 

Wait- the book! Virgil’s head whipped around.

“What are you looking for?” Roman asked.

“I found a book on comas,” Virgil spoke, “but I dropped it when that thing came in.” He cursed. “It must’ve took it.”

“That doesn’t look like the only book missing,” Patton replied. “There’s tons of books missing all over the library.”

“Why would it want Logan’s books?” Roman asked. “The only thing in them are things that Thomas has learned.”

Virgil held his breath. “The weaker mind… that’s what it meant.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s weakening Thomas’s mind so it can get in Logan’s easier. Knowledge is Logan’s only defense. He knows whatever that thing says isn’t real, but if it starts to make him doubt himself-”

“It could do whatever it wants,” Roman finished. He clenched his teeth. “We have to replace the ones it's taking. Without those books, Thomas's mind will keep deteriorating until-” He cut himself off. 

“But how?” Patton asked. He turned back to Virgil, a pleading look in his eyes.

Virgil sighed and shook his head. “We really… can’t. Logan is the only one who can create new books. The only way we can fix the library is to get Logan back.”

“Or find the books it’s taking ourselves.”

“Not gonna happen. That thing lives in Thomas’s subconscious. The only way to get there is-” Virgil paused. “Well, Thomas has to put you in there himself… you know, to bury you away.”

Patton shivered, and Roman growled.

“So we do nothing?”

“I know it sucks, but we’re just going to have to hope that Logan can pull through this. The best we can do is be there for him.”

Roman drew a breath and ran a hand through his hair, ready to argue but stopping mid-thought.

“Then let’s head back.” Roman put his sword back in its place. “I believe it’s your watch, Patton.”

The three of them made their way out of the library, each one hoping that one way or another, they could keep this thing as far away from Logan as possible.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to fall apart, and the Sides are doing the best they can to cope.  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: Gaslighting, also Roman ran away with this chapter so it got kinda long  
> Word count: 2407

“-and then he forgot my name!” Roman threw up his hands as he paced. “I can understand Virgil’s name, but mine? How could he forget mine?”

He paused his pacing and looked over at Logan, who was oblivious to Roman's hour-long rant in his room.

“I mean,” Roman continued with a softer voice, “you should see him, Logan. He’s a complete mess. He barely remembers any of us. He can’t even remember starting on Vine with us. It’s… unnerving.”

He decided to leave out the part where Patton almost cried when Thomas didn’t recognize him.

“It was a fool’s errand. We knew what was going to happen, but that… that still doesn’t stop it from hurting any less.” 

Roman sat on the edge of the bed and took in a deep breath. 

“You… you would know what to do. You would be able to encourage him to seek knowledge again, but he’s just-” he paused- “he’s just us. There’s no spark for learning anything new, no desire to go out and strive to be better. He’s living in an empty shell of forgetfulness.”

Roman sighed heavily.

“And now… things are starting to affect us too. Thomas is losing more than just you, he’s losing himself. We can all feel it. Patton doesn’t smile as much as he used to. Virgil is constantly stopping himself from falling asleep. And I… I’ve been having these creative blocks, and this time, it’s not you holding me back.” 

Roman let a bitter tear slip down his cheek and brushed it away. 

“I… I selfishly wished you away so many times, with your obnoxious dream stomping, thinking that without your dose of reality I could do whatever I wished, but after seeing the results, I’m- I’m not so sure I want that at all.”

More tears started to roll down his cheeks.

“I guess what I’m saying is, please don’t forget us too. Please don’t forget the way Patton forces you to eat, even though you don’t have to. How he smells of cookies and crayons, just as homely and bubbly as his personality. Please don’t forget how… how Virgil’s rare smile meets his eyes, such warm vivid eyes that have that devilish twinkle in them. Please don’t forget all the adventures we went on together, those nights we sat under the stars I painted for you. You remember me painting your stars, right?”

Roman’s voice caught in his throat.

“I-I don’t know what I’d do if you forgot us too. I… we’re lost without you. Please… please come back to us.”

Roman sniffled and blew his nose into a conjured tissue. He wiped his eyes and put them in a newly formed trash bin. Said trash vanished with a flick of his wrist off to who knows where. Probably gone, like half the books in Logan’s library.

Roman stood and cleared his throat. 

“But enough of this tragedy. I need to channel my frustration into something else.”

A knock came at the doorway. Roman turned and noticed Virgil leaning on the door frame, holding two plates of pasta in his hand.

“Pat wanted me to bring some for you.”

Roman smiled. “Ah, I see he brought another one for Logan as well.”

Virgil sighed, placed the plate of pasta on the nightstand, and picked up the stale sandwich in its place.

“Yeah, he still insists,” he said as he focused on the plate and took a deep breath, wanting to talk it out but also not wanting to bash Patton’s optimism.

“Virgil-”

He turned and faced Roman, who was twisting his hands together.

“-how much of that did you hear?”

“How much did you want me to hear?”

Roman squeezed his lips together. 

“I… I haven’t been that nice to you as of late, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that creature was the one messing with Logan and Thomas, and had I known-”

“Save it, Princey. I preferred you when you were mean and not giving me second-hand embarrassment,” Virgil said and shook his head. He hummed. “Princey... that gives me an idea. You’re a prince, right?”

“A knight actually, but continue.”

“Well, Logan’s under a sleeping spell, right?”

Roman’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare imply what I think you are, Virgil Sanders.”

“Did you even try?”

“What a vile-”

“Come on, Roman, your nerd in distress needs you.”

“Ha,” Roman narrowed his eyes. He grabbed the plate of food Virgil held out to him and set it off to the side. “And here I thought we were sharing a moment.”

Virgil smirked and turned to leave as Roman mumbled under his breath. He shoved his hands in his pockets and hoped he wouldn’t regret this.

“Oh, and Ro-” the mentioned looked up- “I guess... thanks.”

“For what?” Roman asked with a quirked brow.

“For saving me- ya know- back at the library.”

“All in a day’s work,” Roman replied, his natural bravado back. “Besides, I’ve already lost one friend, and I’m not about to lose-” He paused and looked away.

“No, please continue. I want to see where that one was heading,” Virgil said as he folded his arms with a lopsided grin.

“You’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead throat.”

Virgil snickered and shook his head. “Whatever, Roman.” He exited the room and closed the door behind him. 

Virgil slid down the wall and rested his head against it. A small smile came to his lips as he thought of the words Roman so elegantly told to Logan moments ago. Yet, for some reason, it hurt to see Roman’s facade fall for that… that thing. He worried that Roman would be an easy target. Roman’s self-esteem was flimsy, like a house of cards delicately stacked high and easily blown over.  
Definitely a “weak mind” that thing would prey on.

Inside Logan’s room, Roman set the plate of finished pasta down on the floor and sent it away. He was sure Patton would be washing the dishes by now, and the last thing he wanted was that stare Patton gave when he slowly sank another plate into the sink as Patton finished his work. He hid it behind a smile, but Roman could see the annoyance in his eyes.

“Right, how about another story? I’m afraid I’m not feeling much like myself, so I’ll have to repeat one. You don’t mind, right?” Roman asked as he stood once again. He brandished his sword and began:

“Once, there was a powerful wizard who lived in an abandoned bog. You see, this bog was abandoned because it had a reputation: anyone who breathed in its mists would easily forget where they were going. They’d wander around endlessly until they died from starvation… or worse. And in this bog resided an ancient wizard, Logan the Wise, who preferred to be left alone. His magic shielded him from the mists and protected his icy heart from ever being melted-”

For an hour the story continued, Roman acting out the movements along with the story. Every once and a while, he’d glance over to Logan. He hoped something connected with him, and perhaps if he tried hard enough, Logan would open his eyes and tell him how his wonderfully creative stories pulled him out of his eternal sleep and saved the day. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he swore Logan’s face crossed with disgust as he told a rather off-color pun. Maybe that was the key to waking him.

“-fought valiantly, but the creature was no match for his magic. He found himself a family, at last, and he wasn’t about to let the mist monster devour them.”

Had Roman been paying attention, he would’ve noticed the black lines seeping out of the library. However, by the time he noticed anything, the creature already towered over him, silver teeth shining. 

Roman flicked his wrist and formed a flashlight. The creature grabbed his hand and pulled it out of his grasp, tossing it off to the side and into a thick puddle. Roman reached down to grab his sword with his other hand. 

Black lines circled around his arm, pulling the sword and throwing it across the room. They wove up around his neck and squeezed. Roman’s hands went to his defense. The slime pulled him into the air, his feet kicking and trying to find anything to make contact with.

Sour breath blew on his face, and Roman coughed. The creature laughed. 

“Not so tough without your weapons now, are you?”

Roman gathered up a wad of spit and took aim. The creature let out a disgusted noise and let out a low growl.

“Go. Rot,” Roman squeezed out.

Its lips pulled into a sneer, and it squeezed harder on Roman’s throat. “Such a clever thing, trying to fill his nightmares with dreams. Let's see if we can use that, hmm?”

Black trails snaked their way over to Logan. Roman watched as they circled around him, clinging to his forehead and chest. Logan’s body locked up, and a look of pain overcame him.

“S-stop-”

“What’s the matter?” The creature tilted its head. “Not creative enough to figure out how to help him? You’re all talk and no fight. You always have been. I’m honestly disappointed. I thought you’d be a challenge, but here I find I could easily play with you.”

Roman opened his mouth to speak again, but the black ink wove around his lips. He gagged as it seeped through the cracks and coated his tongue. It became harder and harder to breathe.

“No wonder they ignore you. You’re not worth their time. They’d gladly trade you for him if they could-”

A low curse caught the creature’s attention. Virgil stood in the doorway and pawed at the light switch, but a thick mass of black sludge coated it.

“You think I’d let you pull that trick twice,” it spoke with a smirk. “You’re dumber than I thought.”

Virgil grit his teeth. “Drop him.”

“Why? Have a soft spot for him?” its grin widened, “Can’t think of any other way to be useful than to sit in your corner and hiss?”

More strings wrapped around Roman’s body, constricting him. He refused to let any air out. If they clamped down on an empty chest, that’d be the end. 

Virgil spied a silver glint beside him as Roman’s sword peeked from the black mass. He ducked as a black shot of sludge aimed at him and rolled across the floor. Virgil grabbed the sword, took aim, and swung.

A sick squelching sound followed the sword’s whoosh, and the creature cried out. Roman’s body hit the ground. Drops of black sludge splattered on the floor around him.

A hand came to his side, and Roman squinted in the dark. Virgil held his sword, his attention still focused on the creature, and knelt beside him.

“You don’t know when to give up, do you?” it hissed. The arm Virgil cut off reformed and closed into a fist.

“I warned you,” Virgil hissed. “Now, let both of them go.”

“Not likely. Logan’s mine, but him.” The creature’s smile widened, “him you can have back if he doesn’t suffocate to death.”

Virgil turned and watched Roman struggling to free his neck, mouth, and nose from the black slime. His eyes fell on a discarded flashlight. He lunged toward it. Threads circled around his feet and tripped him. He struggled against them as it pulled his body upside down into the air. He lost his grip on the sword and watched it fall below.

“What’s wrong? Still can’t protect them? I told you you were useless.” The creature tilted its head as it flashed a grin at Virgil. It turned its attention to Roman, who was gagging behind the sludge on his mouth. “You look like you’re having a difficult time breathing there. Perhaps I can help.”

It picked up Roman’s sword, aiming it for his neck, and snarled, “We’ll see how much you appreciate your body being sliced open.”

“Don’t!” Virgil cried out.

“What’s wrong?” The creature laughed. “Are you finally realizing, all you’ve done is delay the inevitable? You wasted so much of your time to try and save them, but it was all for naught. Just like your friend here, you’re out of time-”

A bright light flashed on the creature’s face, and it cried out as its hands went to its face. The surrounding trails around Virgil dropped him, and he landed with a low grunt.

“You leave my family alone,” Patton growled from the doorway, keeping the light trained on the creature. It let out a long hiss before sliding through the cracks and under Logan’s library door once again.

Roman choked and coughed as he regained the ability to breathe. Virgil shrugged the now slack ropes of dark slime around his body off and sat up. Patton came to Roman’s side, whispering encouraging words and clinging to the flashlight like a lifeline.

“You have amazing timing, Pat,” Virgil spoke.

Patton stood and turned on the light switch. The black puddles were receding through the floor, back to the dark depths whence they came. 

Virgil looked over at Roman, who rubbed his neck as he stood. “You okay over there?”

Roman nodded his head and continued to breathe heavy. “Virgil, you risked your life-”

“Don’t mention it,” Virgil interrupted. “Consider us even.”

Roman smiled, and he looked back over at Logan. The latter returned to a peaceful sleep, save for the beads of sweat that continued to run down his face. 

“There has to be some way to fight this thing off,” Roman sighed.

Virgil shook his head. “No matter what I’ve done, it always comes back. Always.”

“We can’t just keep playing right into its hands! Someone’s going to get hurt.”

“Well, I’m open to ideas.”

“Please,” Patton whimpered, “please stop fighting. It’s not helping anyone. We’ll figure this out. We just need a little more time.”

Roman sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “The way Thomas is deteriorating, we don’t have much time left. He’ll forget us all together before we figure this all out.”

Virgil shuddered, and Patton set his jaw.

“Don’t say that. We can get rid of it. Logan will wake up soon, and then we can get the library back together. Trust him.”

Virgil looked from Patton to Logan, and swallowed hard.

“I sure hope you’re right.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the mind forgets, the heart remembers.  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: A soft chapter that ends on a cliffhanger (and I won’t be able to update until Sunday so you have been warned)  
> Word count: 2333

No one was allowed to walk into Logan’s room without some sort of flashlight, as decreed by Roman, who conjured a special light for each of them.

Still, Virgil informed them after a nice long shot of light, it always receded for a day or two to regain its strength. He declined the other side’s invitations to stay with him for the night and keep him safe, or at the very least keep him company.

When Patton’s turn to watch Logan arrived, Virgil was curled up in the corner, flashlight still gripped in his hand, and sound asleep. It would’ve made Patton smile had the circumstances been different.

Patton sat down next to Virgil, fully aware of how the other side hated to be woken up suddenly. He started humming a soft tune, luring Virgil out of his slumber. It worked, and Virgil blinked his eyes. He took a moment to start up, but when he did, he drew a sharp breath and looked around.

“Easy, kiddo, it’s just me,” Patton said and followed it with a light smile.

Virgil ran a hand through his hair. “How long was I asleep?”

Patton hummed and looked over at Logan.

“There’s coffee downstairs, just the way you like it,” Patton coaxed.

“I’ll wait.”

“Virgil,” Patton glanced out of his peripheral vision, “go rest. I’ll take it from here. It doesn’t like light, and my turn is during the day. It can’t touch us.”

Virgil took a moment to think. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

“Because I don’t have the answer.” A thought died on Patton’s lips. “Now go take care of yourself. Please?”

He turned his head this time to look into Virgil’s eyes, a warm smile spreading across his lips. Virgil sighed, stood, and stretched. His back popped twice as he held his hands over his head. 

“Alright, but you keep those blinds open at all time.”

“You got it,” Patton said with a salute. Virgil gave a small smile before leaving Patton alone in the quiet of Logan’s room.

Patton stood and made his way to Logan’s bed, his fingers trailing the blankets. He felt Logan’s forehead, noting how the fever hadn’t gone down since this began. He wondered if Logan really was sick or if it was because his library was being destroyed. The sides all had that one special corner of the mind palace where their core being resided. Logan’s just so happened to be one of the easily reached ones.

Logan’s face showed no sign of noticing Patton’s presence. He sighed. His head drifted to the library doors, Virgil’s chair still perched in front of it. An idea poked in Patton’s head, and he turned back to Logan.

“I think… I might have an idea of how to help you. It might be a bit dangerous, but if I can help… I should be able to do it in the daylight.”

Patton walked out the door, giving a quick glance side to side to make sure Roman or Virgil weren’t poking around and slipped into his room. From his couch, Patton pulled off one of Thomas’s favorite childhood blankets. He walked around his room, grabbing knick-knacks, stuffed animals, pictures, drawings, books, and other things he’d collected over the years. After filling the blanket, he wrapped it up and left his room, dragging the contents behind him.

Patton closed Logan’s door and looked over at him. Logan hadn’t stirred. Patton shouldn’t have been as disappointed to notice no change. 

“It's going to be okay, kiddo,” he whispered. He opened Logan’s library doors and pulled his treasure in along with him. He stopped in the opening and let the blanket fall open.

Patton turned around to face the library and held his breath. 

The room was covered in a thin layer of dust. Books lay scattered across the shelf, many of them missing from their place, and the stain glass windows appeared less vibrant. Some even had cracks in them. Patton couldn’t stop the tears from forming. Thank goodness Logan wasn’t around to see the state of his library, or he’d be heartbroken.

Patton sat cross-legged on the floor and pulled out a music box. He wound it several times and set it off to the side. The comforting lullaby eased Patton’s nerves; he breathed deeply, held it for a moment, and let it out. Thomas’s mother used to play it every night before bed.

He was aware of the library’s gift to Logan. No matter where they were, they could always communicate with him. Maybe, just maybe, if he couldn’t get through to Logan out there he could get through to Logan in here.

“Do you remember this?” Patton asked, pulling out a book Thomas made back in preschool. “You and I worked together special to make it. The thought of creating a new idea struck us so deeply, we had to put our work together. We both made Thomas so happy. That’s the day Roman formed, and it was the last time we really worked together to create something without him.”

Patton set the book off to the side. He picked up a stuffed animal from the pile. 

“You loved this little glow worm. I mean, yeah, you find it a bit creepy now, but it still went to sleep with us every night. You told Thomas it would scare all the monsters away, remember? He was… Thomas and I were both so scared of the one in his closet, but you helped him get through it. You helped me get through it too.”

Several glass beakers clinked together as Patton pulled them out of the pile.

“Remember when you wanted Thomas to be a chemical engineer?”

Patton told endless stories, each one of his treasures holding a special memory. He didn’t miss the way the sun shown through the windows, offering more light as he continued. He was sure the library felt warmer. It was working. It had to be working. 

“Logan,” Patton said as he stood up. He listened to the music box die for the third time, but this time he didn’t wind it back up. He allowed the silence of the library to surround him. Regardless of the vast space, he didn’t feel as alone as when he stepped inside.

“I’m sorry,” he continued. He felt tears prick his eyes. “I could tell something was wrong, but I didn’t do anything to stop you. If I would’ve kept you at that table or not bothered you in the library, maybe… maybe you would still be here to help us fix this.”

Patton rubbed his arms. “I’m supposed to take care of you all. It’s my job. Maybe I don’t protect you like Virgil or Roman, and I know you think emotions are… frivolous, but I still want to be there for you. You shouldn’t have to face your problems alone.”

Patton picked up a picture album. Roman conjured a camera long ago, and he took as many pictures as he could. Of course, some weren’t perfect, with fingers in the corner or having chopped off hairlines, but as time went on, Roman really got an eye for photography. And the ones that Roman didn’t want to keep, the ones that held precious memories Patton couldn’t do without, he put in this book.

“You remember the first time I tried to bake?” Patton smiled at the memory. He was covered in white foam, Logan pinching the bridge of his nose as Patton held out the ruined pastry to him. “I guess it wasn’t a piece of cake like I thought.”

Patton flipped the page. “And here, when Thomas won the science fair. You were so proud.” His fingers ran over the ribbon pressed in the book’s pages, the one Logan wore with such a proud smile on his face. “I was so proud of you. I still am.”

He continued to flip through the book and pausing at each picture, giving a verbal explanation. The chill in the library had long gone, and the warm sunlight set colors all around Patton. He finally reached the end of the book and let it close with a soft pat.

“I know I’m not as smart as you, and I can’t fill your library with everything you remember, but I can give you my memories. Wonderful memories that we all shared. Memories I didn’t want to forget, and ones I don’t want you to either, good or bad.”

Patton stood and carried the book with him. His treasures lay on the floor, each one carefully placed down around him, and he stepped into the empty spaces between them. Patton traveled through the library, the glass windows his only light.

One of the bookcases stood completely empty, and Patton placed the picture book inside of it. Piece by piece, he loaded his things onto the barren shelves, until they were completely filled with odd objects. Patton folded up Thomas’s blanket, set it on the shelf, and stood back to marvel at his work. 

“You’d probably hate it, but I think it looks nice,”

He took a deep breath, missing Logan’s presence beside him. He thanked whoever watched over him that Roman and Virgil hadn’t come up to see him. They would’ve flipped if they knew where he was.

“Please don’t forget them,” Patton spoke as he turned to leave. His footsteps echoed against the floor as he headed to the door.

A low ticking noise tinkered through the air, and Patton stopped in his tracks. He turned and noticed the music box playing on the shelf behind him. That was… odd. It ran out, didn’t it? 

Patton walked back to the music box and studied it. The key was wound tight.

Patton’s eyes widened. Did… did Logan do that? Was he remembering? Patton’s heart jumped. What if this really did help? What if he just woke up? Patton couldn’t contain the excited squeal. He dashed toward the exit. Finally, this nightmare was ending!

As he reached the doors, they slammed in his face. Patton noticed the music box stopped as well, coating the room in a thick silence, save for the echoing of the slammed doors. He tried to push the doors open, but they refused to move.

“Logan?” He called out as his heart started to beat faster. He turned his head toward the memories. Each one stared back, but none had answers.

Patton’s hand went to his flashlight at his side, and he gave it a gentle squeeze. There were no black trails on the floor, but he knew that thing was fast. It would sneak up on him before he knew it. Patton clicked it on and pressed his back against the library doors.

“H-hello?” He called out nervously. His voice echoed through the library.

“Patton?” Logan’s voice called out. Patton’s eyes widened. He stepped back into the library. “Where are you?”

Patton’s heart jumped. “I’m here!” Patton ran forward into the maze of books. He looked at the shelves, hoping Logan would show up in one way or another. “Logan, where are you?”

Patton turned a corner, and he gasped as he nearly ran into someone. His eyes traveled up their form; his stomach twisted into knots. A golden eye, a snake-like smile, and definitely not a Logan stared back at him.

Patton scowled and aimed his flashlight at their eyes.

“Ah- that doesn’t hurt, you know.”

“You,” Patton growled. “You’re the one messing with Logan’s memories?”

“I’m surprised you hadn’t figured it out sooner.”

“What did he ever do to you? You leave him alone, or I’ll…”

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll fight you.”

A laugh. “Please, you and I both know you don’t have it in you.”

Patton balled his free hand into a fist. Wanna bet? He pulled his arm back to strike. 

“By all means, go ahead.”

Patton stopped and stared, his jaw clenched. 

“Because of all this, Thomas is in trouble. Don’t you care? You’re all about self-preservation, but you’re hurting him.”

“Why would I want to harm the ones that are taking my spot as a core factor of Thomas’s personality? It’s not like I want him to listen to me all the time or anything.”

Patton’s eyes widened. “You’re… you’re destroying Logan so you can be in control of Thomas’s thoughts?”

“Aren’t you smart.”

The library lights dimmed down, and Patton took a few steps backward. His foot stuck in something slick, and he tried to pull it free, but it held fast.

“You weren’t reaching him, you know? This was all a waste of time.”

Patton narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t helping.”

A sigh. “I’ll tell you what, Patton. I’ll make you a deal. My friend has been dying for a challenge. You see, it’s quite bored, and I’m afraid I can’t entertain it much longer. You have a pretty strong heart, and I’m sure you’d be a tiring enough challenge for it. You win against it, and I’ll let Logan go, and bring all his books back.”

Patton blinked and tilted his head to the side. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.” A grin. “And if you lose, I get to take your place. But don’t worry, I have no doubt you can win.”

Patton weighed his options. He didn’t know what this thing was capable of, but from what Virgil told him, it was awful. Still, if this was the only way to help Logan-

“Okay, I trust you.”

Cold liquid slid up his back and attached to his neck. Patton let out a light gasp as his body went rigid. It was as if he was coated in a thick sheet of ice, unable to move, unable to breathe, unable to do anything at all. The corner of his eyes faded to black and slowly moved over the rest of his vision. The last thing he remembered seeing was that cheshire cat grin.

“Have fun, Patton, and good luck.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are starting to make some breakthroughs. The question is, did they really want to?  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: Death mention, this one might make you happy but it also might make you sad... also might mess with your perception of lying  
> Word count: 2083

Virgil’s throat tingled as the hot coffee warmed him. He glanced over at Roman several times, who stared out the window over the sink, lost in thought. His finger tapped on the side of his favorite ceramic mug, keeping beat with the clock.

“Virgil,” Roman spoke without looking at him.

He quirked a brow. “Roman.”

“You said when you have an anxiety attack, you feel like you’re dying,” Roman continued, his hands coming to his sides. “What does it feel like exactly?”

“To have an anxiety attack?”

“To die.”

Virgil’s body stiffened. He remembered how to breathe and put his coffee down on the table. Roman still stared into the distance, his persona eerily still. Virgil ran a hand through his hair and swallowed.

“Well,” Virgil gathered his thoughts, “it’s not like I’ve actually died or anything but… I really… I can’t answer… Roman-”

“I know it’s a stupid question, but I need-” Roman sighed- “I need to know.”

“Why? You think you’re dying or something?”

Silence answered him. If Virgil focused, he could see the slight tremor in Roman’s weakening shoulders. Roman drew in a shuddering breath and released it soon after.

“You have to feel it. That slow ache in your heart as you can’t muster up the energy to keep Thomas safe anymore. I… I can’t even concentrate to write out a short poem. It’s as if my whole purpose in life is being stripped from my fingers and I-”

A sob stopped Roman, and he hugged his arms tighter.

“-I’m scared, Virgil.”

Virgil rose to his feet, keeping his hands on the table. If Roman noticed, he didn’t say anything. Virgil’s heart split in two then flared up in anger. He walked over to Roman, who continued to stare out the window. His lips were drawn into a frown, and his eyes were glassy from newly fallen tears. 

“Now you listen here, Princey,” Virgil spoke, his voice firm like he heard Patton use so often, “We’re going to get that creature out of Logan’s library. We’re going to help Logan, and then Logan’s going to bring Thomas back. Then you can think of all the ridiculous ideas you want, okay?”

Roman continued to stare as tears trickled down his cheeks. His eyebrows were slowly coming toward his eyes, as if holding in all his emotions. Virgil’s anger dissipated along with a heavy sigh.

“Roman, I-”

“Shh.”

“Look I-”

Roman held a hand up, his eyebrows raising to his hairline.

“Do you hear that?”

Virgil strained his hearing. It was faint, but he could pick up a soft hum of a melody. He focused back on Roman, who had a grin widening on his lips.

“He’s singing,” Roman informed. 

Virgil opened his mouth to ask, but Roman had already vanished from the mind palace. Virgil groaned. He sunk down with him and appeared in Thomas’s old bedroom.

Thomas sat on his bed looking away from them. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and stared out an open window. A light melody, broken in parts but recognizable, floated through the air from his lips. The words were quiet, but Virgil knew them by heart. It was the most comforting song Thomas knew, the one his mother’s music box played for him at night.

Roman stood beside Virgil, his hands drawn over his lips and catching his tears. His eyes smiled with a spark Virgil hadn’t seen in days. He honestly missed it.

Thomas finished his song, a contented sigh following after. He sniffled and pulled the blanket around his shoulders a little tighter. 

Roman started to clap slowly, and Thomas’s head turned around. His eyes widened, and his lips reached out to the words he wanted to say. 

“Well done,” Roman spoke, his voice soft. “I’m glad you still remember that at least.”

Thomas squinted at him, and his breathing came faster. Virgil swallowed. Patton had told him about how Thomas couldn’t remember Roman or him on their last visit, and he wondered if them appearing now would hurt him in any way. Still, he wasn’t feeling nervous, so what was it Thomas was feeling?

“Of course,” Thomas answered, his voice hoarse. “It’s from my mother’s music box. She used to play it every night before I went to bed. It helped me fall asleep at night when I was scared of the monster in my closet.”

The recollection struck something deep in Roman. He swallowed thickly.

“You remember that?”

Thomas nodded his head slowly. “I don’t remember much these days, but that… that’s still there, thankfully.”

Thomas paused. He looked back at the window.

“I remember this book too, one I made when I was little.” Thomas furrowed his brow. “My mom keeps it on the shelf downstairs. I made it in preschool. I was so proud, and so was she. That’s when… that’s when I really started to like creating things.”

Roman let out a sob that sounded like a laugh, also brought home by the smile he couldn’t contain. “Yes, I remember that book. It’s the one we wrote about our teacher, right?”

Thomas slowly nodded. “I remember when I won the science fair for the first time. It was to explain what happened to sugar if you melted it in a beaker. I still remember how it smelled like toasted marshmallows.” He let out a light laugh. “I nearly set the table on fire.”

“I remember that,” Virgil mumbled. “We were sure we’d be expelled.”

“But we weren’t.”

“Of course not,” Roman explained. “Your teachers knew it was an accident, and there was nothing to be scared about. They all liked you too much anyway.”

“I guess they did,” Thomas pursed his lips together. “I… I feel like I should know you.”

The stab in Roman’s heart registered on his face. “I’m Prince Roman… remember?”

Thomas thought for a moment and swallowed thickly. “You take pictures. Lots of pictures.”

Roman laughed and nodded. “I do. Patton keeps them in one of his photo albums in the mind palace. They’re all things that we’ve done together, and things we’re proud of doing. Reasons we’re proud of you.”

“Patton,” Thomas played with the word. “Morality?”

“Yes,” Roman clapped his hands. Oh, if only Patton were here to hear Thomas say his name. “Thomas, please, who’s beside me.”

Thomas looked over at Virgil, and the latter stiffened at his gaze. His heart pounded in his chest, and he felt sweat beginning to line his brow.

“V… Vir…” Thomas’s face twisted in concentration. 

Roman bit his nail as he whispered, “Come on, Thomas.”

Thomas clutched his heart and cried out. He rolled into a ball on his bed and struggled for breath. Roman and Virgil both raced to his side, each knowing and not knowing what to do.

“Thomas, what’s wrong?” Virgil asked. He could feel his own pulse rising.

Thomas grunted. “My chest- I- it hurts.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Roman reassured. He looked up at Virgil, who offered no support, and turned his attention back to Thomas. “We’re going to make sure it’s okay.”

Virgil covered Thomas with a blanket, and Roman sunk down before him. Virgil followed soon after and caught Roman running toward the stairs.

“Patton!” he yelled.

Virgil caught on and followed him. He stopped at the top of the stairs and watched Roman struggling to open Logan’s door.

“It’s locked!” He yelled. He mounted his left foot on the ground and leaned into a kick with his right by the door handle. It cracked. He kicked again, and the door flew open.

“Patton!” Roman ran in and looked around. Virgil followed him in and looked at Logan’s bed.

“They’re both gone,” he growled and clenched his fists.

“I thought you said that thing doesn’t come out during the day!”

“It doesn’t.”

“Well then explain this!”

“I don’t know!” Virgil’s voice grew deep. He clutched his hands in his hair. “I don’t know, okay? I don’t know how it would’ve got in here and grabbed both of them.”

“Unless it wasn’t alone.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. No, he wouldn’t. Would he?

Roman glanced at the library doors and clenched his jaw. He stormed over and gave the doors a tug. They both clinked together, obviously locked.

“Virgil,” Roman turned to look as Virgil started pacing. 

“We shouldn’t have left him alone,” Virgil growled.

“I know,” Roman replied, “but right now, Patton and Logan both need us. I need you to stay with me, okay?”

Virgil looked up, his eyes locked into anger. He walked over to the doors and gave a pull. 

Roman sighed. “They swing toward us, so I can’t break them down.” 

“We could always cut it down.”

“That is mahogany.”

“You can fix it later. Logan won’t be around to yell at you if we don’t get them back.”

Roman nodded and conjured an axe. Virgil stood back as Roman lined up a swing.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Roman froze and turned. Virgil clenched his fists as the speaker leaned against Logan’s back wall. He offered a sly expression and a lazy wave.

Roman turned his axe into a sword and charged toward him. His left hand pinned the side against the wall as his blade went to his neck.

“Where are they?”

“How threatening,” he purred. “You’ll never get your answer if you kill me.”

Virgil came to Roman’s side. “Torture is always an option. I mean, what goes around comes around, right?”

“I’m going to give you to the count of ten to open those doors,” Roman hissed. “One-”

“I could easily open them if I wanted to, since I’m the one who locked them.”

Virgil narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

He held up his hands in surrender. “Look, maybe I’m actually on your side for once-”

Roman pressed his sword harder against his throat, but Virgil’s hand came to his wrist. Roman looked offended, but Virgil continued to stare at his opponent.

“I’m listening.”

“Virgil, what if this is a trick?”

“He’s right. You have no reason to trust me.”

“See?” He paused. “Wait a minute-”

“You know, you’re not always creative. Maybe I don’t always lie.”

That turned a sour expression onto Roman’s face, and he grit his teeth.

Virgil inhaled and exhaled sharply. “It grew too strong for you, didn’t it?”

The look on his face was all Virgil needed. He cursed and looked away.

“I knew it would get stronger, but I didn’t think I’d lose control.”

“Well, you did, and now it’s destroying Thomas. Way to go.”

A sigh. “I thought Logan would be strong enough to fend it off, but unfortunately, it figured out how to weaken him. Then it started going after you, but you’re no challenge for it.”

Virgil put a hand on Roman’s shoulder as he started to press the blade back. 

“So what happened to Patton?”

“We made a deal.” He stopped as the blade bit into his neck. “Now, now, no need for such bad manners. Patton’s choice was his and his alone.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I suggested if he could best my monster, I could get all the books back it’s been stealing from Logan. They’re buried in Thomas’s subconscious, and as you know, I have free reign to move in and out with how much Thomas tries to ignore me.”

Roman looked at Virgil, who seemed at war with himself. He turned back and narrowed his eyes.

“He can,” Virgil sighed, “in his own demented way.”

 

“So what do we do? How do we help him?”

“You can’t. Patton has to do this on his own. I have complete faith in him.”

Virgil narrowed his eyes and let go of Roman’s shoulders. He turned toward the library doors. “Go ahead and gut him like a fish.”

“Wait-” He coughed as Roman’s blade drew blood. Virgil turned and rose a lazy brow in question. He smirked as terrified eyes stared back at him. “I’m not scared enough to open those doors.”

Virgil shrugged. “We could keep pressing the matter.”

“No, I- fine.”

With a flick of his wrist, an invisible key appeared in the library doors. Virgil walked over and turned it, thankful to hear the heavy metal click.

“You’ll never reach him in time.”

Roman dropped him onto the floor and turned back to Virgil. The two of them ran into the library, ignoring the cries from behind them. 

They both had enough of these deceptive games.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton's determined to find Logan and bring him back, no matter the costs.  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: Gaslighting, Self-depreciating thoughts, you're gonna hate the end >w>  
> Word count: 1949

The first thing Patton noticed when he woke was how cold he was. He shivered and rubbed his bare arms, then slid his cat hoodie off his shoulders to put on. The space around him was completely black. Patton continued to shiver as he took a cautious step forward. His foot hit the solid floor, and he took another step. Before he knew it, he was walking straight into the black void, unsure of how much progress he made and no way to track it.

“Hello?” he called out. His voice echoed, so there had to be walls somewhere. The question was… where? 

Patton continued forward, his steps slow and cautious. He recalled the events that happened before and swallowed.

“Okay,” he spoke aloud, “so far so good. No problem whatsoever. I can do this. Piece of Patton Cake.”

A low laugh answered him. A chill ran up Patton’s spine. He turned and blinked several times, but he still couldn’t see anything or anyone.

“Such a lost little fool, trusting the one who lies the most,” a voice hissed. “You really are as dumb as the other sides say.”

Patton swallowed the dryness in his throat and spoke, “Are you… the Intrusive thought?”

“Maybe not as stupid as I thought, but not by much.”

“I want you to leave Logan alone,” Patton spoke and clenched his hands into fists. 

“Logan could leave whenever he wanted. Problem is, he enjoys my reality too much. He doesn’t want to leave. He likes it here, with no feelings to bother him.”

“I don’t believe you,” Patton answered. Again, he started taking slow and cautious steps.

“You don’t? How many times has Logan told you feelings are useless? How many times has he shut you down, ignored you, and told you your feelings didn’t matter?”

“None.”

The creature laughed. “You sure?”

“I am.” Patton’s steps grew more confident. “Logan and I don’t always agree, but he’s never done anything to hurt us on purpose. He even gave me this cat sweater when I was hurt, and he makes sure I’m okay from time to time. He does care. You’re just a mean thing trying to trick me into believing he’s not.”

The room fell into silence. Patton heard his footsteps echoing off the walls, keeping the beat with his heart. He smiled, thinking he bested the beast. That was surprisingly easy.

A bright light clicked on before him. Patton shielded his eyes with his hands and squinted. He opened his eyes and stared at a screen.

Logan stood before him, face annoyed and eyes tired. No, he was staring in a mirror. Patton watched as he… er… Logan traveled down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Virgil sat with a cup of coffee in hand, scrolling through a phone. He looked up as Logan approached and sighed.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” Virgil’s voice echoed.

“No thanks to you,” Logan snapped back. Patton flinched at the robotic undertone of it. That wasn’t his voice. Logan might have had a monotonous voice compared to the others, but there was still a special life brought into it, one only Logan could imitate. This was cold and uncaring, almost over calculated. 

Virgil looked up and raised a brow. “You okay there, Pocket Protector? You sound like you had a rough night or something.

“I have,” Logan replied. “I need you to stop this useless worrying over nothing.”

Virgil let out a dry laugh. “You do know who you’re talking to, right?”

Logan’s hand reached out. He pushed Virgil’s chair backward and followed him down. Patton flinched as Virgil’s head smacked off the floor.

“Yo, what the fu-”

“You don’t see anything, Virgil. There is no danger in the area.”

“You sure about that?” Virgil hissed back, his eyes looking through Logan as if focused on something else. 

Logan’s reflection shone in Virgil’s eyes. A black liquid squirted out of a bottle, and Virgil cried out.

Patton covered his mouth and turned away from the screen. Virgil’s cries for Logan to stop shook him to the core. He covered his ears and sat to bring his knees to his chest.

“Stop it,” he whispered.

“Stop telling you the truth?” the creature whispered, its warm breath tickling Patton’s neck. Patton shied away from it again.

“It’s all a lie. I don’t believe it. Logan wouldn’t hurt Virgil like that. He wouldn’t.”

“But he did. You saw it for yourself, Patton.”

The presence left his side, and Patton dared to open his eyes. He uncovered his ears and heard Roman’s voice speaking loud and clear. Patton’s eyes widened. He looked up at the screen, at Roman putting on one of his dream plays, and drew in a deep breath.

He also watched as Logan drew Roman's sword and- Patton put a hand to his neck. No, he wouldn’t. He wouldn't try to kill Roman. This was wrong! He turned away as Roman cried out, his breathing strained. 

Patton turned and started walking away. He didn’t know where he headed, but at this rate, he didn’t care. He had to get away. He couldn’t let this thing win. 

“Trying to run from the truth? I thought you liked the truth, Patton.”

“I do, and that wasn’t true. Logan would never-”

“But he did. It’s all here in his head. One by one, he has gotten rid of you and created the perfect dream world.”

Patton jumped as Logan’s voice echoed through the black void, “You want to know what has me off?”

Patton turned, noticing the screen had followed him. He stared at a mirror image of himself. Logan continued to yell, and he watched the Patton this creature made up start to press against a wall. The harsh words Logan spoke brought tears to his eyes. 

“This isn’t you,” he heard his counterpart say. The copy started to coax Logan, tried to get him to see the truth. Patton wanted to look away from the screen, but his body froze in place. 

“Leave me alone, Patton!” Logan shouted. Patton watched his copy start to sink into the floor. Patton’s heart skipped a beat. 

The screen cut off, sending Patton into darkness once again.

“Did you see how he got rid of you?” the creature hissed.

“He was angry. Logan’s temper-”

“But he wanted you to leave. He wanted to get rid of you. You heard him yourself. Logan doesn’t care about you.”

“Stop it.”

“You have to have realized it by now, Patton. The only reason he put up with you in your world is he didn’t know how to get rid of you.”

“You’re lying.”

“Am I? You saw it yourself. He hates you.”

Patton fell to his knees and covered his ears. He felt the creature circling around him in the dark. His body shuddered to try and contain his composure.

The creature continued, “They all hate you. They only put up with you because you say such nice things. They’re using you, Patton. They’re using your love and support, but they never give any back in return.”

Patton’s eyes pricked with tears. 

“How many times have they called you names? How many times have they made jokes that go over your head then laugh at you when you don’t understand? You would rush to their side if they needed help, but look at you. You’re here, and they haven’t come for you. They never will.”

“Stop.”

“They don’t care, Patton. They’d leave you here and trade you for Logan easily.”

Patton swallowed hard. “No.”

“Yes. They were in on the deal. They want him to take your place. They know they can survive without you, and they are willing to sacrifice you to get Logan back. You saw it yourself. Without Logan, you were all falling apart. They’re desperate to save themselves.”

Patton’s eyes opened. “That’s… not the deal. The deal was if I win against you, you let Logan and me go.” Patton rose to his full height. “If I win, you go away and leave us both alone.”

“But will I?”

“Yes.”

“But what if Logan doesn’t want me to let him go.”

“He will. I trust him.”

“Trust,” the creature scoffed. “Trust is such a useless feeling designed to hurt you. No one is trustworthy. They all lie. They all do selfish things to help themselves, even if it means hurting you.”

“Well, yeah, no one is perfect, but I know they never mean to hurt me. It just kinda happens, and I forgive them for it.”

Patton felt the silence engulf him again. He looked around, but the creature easily disappeared in the dark. Patton’s heartbeat crescendoed. He took in a shaky breath and hugged his arms. 

Did he win? Did that creature finally leave him alone?

A cold liquid squeezed down on his arm. Patton flinched, but it held fast. A push on his back and Patton heard a loud snap. He screamed but felt no pain. Patton’s arm fell heavy against his side. More vines started circling around him and pulled him backward. He lost his balance and fell onto his back. They constricted him around the chest, waist, legs, and hands.

“What’s going on?” Patton cried out.

He looked around in the dark, his chest rising and falling rapidly. 

“If you won’t believe me,” the creature hissed, “I’ll let you see for yourself. You’ll see how they don’t care, how they won’t come for you. No one cares about you, Patton.”

And just like that, Patton was left alone in the dark. He looked around, his breath starting to shake. He pulled against the bonds holding him down, but they refused to move. He couldn’t feel his right arm at all. What was going on? Patton let his head fall back on the table as he sucked down air.

Okay, okay, breathe, just like Virgil taught you how. It’s going to be okay.

It’s going to be okay.

It’s going to be…

Patton tried, again and again, to struggle free. How long had he been here? He tried calling out several times for anyone to hear him, and he felt tears come to his eyes.

What if… what if that thing was right? What if deep down they didn’t care about him? A sob fell through Patton’s lips, and he wished he could curl into a ball. 

They hated him.

Maybe he did lie to himself all those years. Maybe they really didn’t need him, and he only wanted a family. He just wanted someone to take care of him like he took care of others. How had he been… so stupid. He was stupid, wasn’t he?

“Patton!”

Patton held his breath. He heard his name, right? This wasn’t just a trick from that creature, right?

He waited alone in the dark, hoping that it wasn’t just a sick twisted trick. However, the more time that passed, the more he was convinced the creature was just playing with him. Patton closed his eyes and wished he’d never took on that deal.

“Patton!”

Patton’s eyes snapped open. That was Logan’s voice. His breath caught in his throat. It wasn’t that horrible garbled noise that creature made when he tried to imitate Logan.

He swallowed before answering out a small, “Logan?”

A cry of excitement. “Patton, where are you?”

“I,” he looked around as he let out a frustrated whine, “I don’t know.” 

“It’s okay. I’m going to find you. Keep talking to me.”

Patton’s excited cry echoed around him. Logan was here, and he was coming to find him. That thing was wrong. Logan still cared, and he was coming for him. He was going to end this nightmare.

He was going to win.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a race against time to try and end this nightmare once and for all.  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: Blood, knives, self-depreciating thoughts, alludes to events that happened in Hear No Evil  
> Word count: 2180

“How are we ever going to find them in this maze?” Roman sighed as they came to the third dead end. “Why did Logan have to make this so utterly complicated to navigate through?”

Virgil growled and turned around, taking off in another direction. Roman called out for him to wait and followed. 

“Virgil, slow down! We’ll waste all our energy before we even get close to it.”

“Logan and Patton are in danger, and you want to make them suffer longer?”

“Of course not,” Roman scoffed. “Don’t you turn this around on me. You’re usually the one for caution, which is why I can’t understand-”

He crashed into Virgil’s back, pushing the two of them over into a pile on the floor. For a moment, they lay there and tried to figure out what just happened.

“Get off,” Virgil growled. Roman scurried to his feet and offered a hand to help Virgil up. Virgil stood without assistance and brushed himself off.

“Well, excuse me, but who’s the one who stopped suddenly again?”

Virgil ignored Roman’s question. He continued to stare straight ahead, his lips drawn into a tight line and shoulders stiff. Roman followed his line of sight and drew a deep breath.

The whole back section of the library was covered in black strings and looked like a slime jungle. Sludge dropped every so often from the ceiling into tar puddles on the floor. Roman held his nose as the sour smell engulfed the air around them. 

“Found it,” Virgil grumbled and used his hood to cover his nose. He ducked under a black string, and Roman followed. Virgil’s light steps barely registered, but Roman’s thick boots squelched in the tar every once in a while, making them both pause and hold their breaths.

“You think it noticed?” Roman whispered. Virgil shrugged a reply. The strings gathered closer and closer together, making it harder to navigate without touching or being heard. 

A drop landed on the back of Roman’s neck, and he yelped as his whole body straightened. Virgil reared back and covered Roman’s mouth. Roman squirmed under his grip, trying to get the stray bead of slime out of his jacket the best he could. A quick glare from Virgil stopped him. He felt the slime dissipate on his back and shuddered.

Virgil barely whispered, “Are you done, Charlotte La Beouff?” before shaking his head and continuing forward. Roman stuck out his tongue.

A low breathing noise shifted through the webs, making both of them pause in their tracks. A low exhale followed soon after. This continued for several seconds before Virgil took another step forward.

Roman whispered, “You think it heard us?”

“I think it heard you.”

“So why isn’t it coming after us?”

Virgil shrugged. 

Thick strings crisscrossed between the two bookshelves in front of them. Virgil ducked around and realized there’d be no way through without cutting through the lines. He looked past the strings and sucked in a breath.

Logan and Patton both lay on the floor, their bodies covered in the black slime trails. The breathing from before sounded right on the other side of the bookshelf. Thick tar bubbles appeared next to them every once and a while with the pattern of its breathing. 

Roman brandished his sword, but Virgil stopped him.

“Are you mad? They’re right there, and all we have to do-”

“But what if it’s a trap?”

“And what if it’s not? What if they need us right now?”

“It’s too easy.”

“You think dodging all those slime trails was too easy?”

Virgil chose to ignore him. He chewed on his thumbnail as he thought. 

“That thing wouldn't just out them out in the open like this without some sort of defense. It's too clever-”

Virgil turned and noticed Roman had disappeared. His senses overloaded. 

“Roman?” he whispered harshly. He looked all around. “Hey, Romano Cheese, where'd you go?”

His eyes set on Roman scaling one of the bookshelves. Virgil hissed out Roman's name and started to climb after him. 

“Are you nuts? You don't know what's on the other side.”

Roman looked over the top of the bookshelf and down at Virgil. “Who was the one just storming through the library like a charging bull again?”

“Yeah, before I realized this thing was waiting for us, probably using them as bait.”

“Oh for heaven's sake, Virgil, for once in your life put your life on the line for the people you care about.” He slid out of view. 

Virgil listened as Roman's boots thud on the other side. Roman's sword screeched as he drew it, and Virgil climbed faster. 

Roman snuck closer to the black strings surrounding Patton and Logan, careful not to trip on any on his way over. Virgil landed behind him and rushed over to his side. 

“When this is all over, I'm banishing Patton from going near Logan’s room without someone with him,” Virgil growled. 

Roman made a noise of agreement. The two made it to Logan and Patton safely, the air deathly still. 

A nerve-like strand stuck to the back of Patton’s neck, stretching around him like veins, disappearing under his shirt and connecting to the limbs of his body. Logan had a similar pattern, only his covered his ears and attached to the corner of his eyes. A strand ran between the two of them, connecting Logan’s forehead with Patton’s chest, right over the heart.

“They’re alive,” Virgil observed as he put a hand on Logan’s forehead. He grimaced at the heat entering his hand, “but Logan’s still in bad shape. How’s Patton?”

Roman knelt down beside Patton and ran a hand through his hair. Patton’s forehead had a soft line of sweat at his hairline. His breathing appeared slow and shallow. Roman’s heart ached. He ignored Virgil’s question, unsure of what answer to give.

“Oh, Padre, what did you get yourself into?”

\--

“Logan, put down the knife, please.”

Patton watched once relieved eyes widen in the blade of Logan’s knife. This had to be a trick. He had him. He was talking to his Logan. There was no way-

He flinched as Logan’s hand brushed a tear from his eye. The warmth left his cheek, replaced by a hollow cold from Logan’s fingers. If he listened carefully, he could hear Logan repeating words of sorrow through his touch. Patton leaned in and allowed his eyes to slip closed.

“Come on, kiddo. I know you’re still in there,” he coaxed. He needed Logan to pull through. Both their lives depended on it. The moment extinguished as Logan’s hand left his face and drew his shirt up. Patton’s heart banged against his ribcage. 

“Logan, no.”

“Logan, yes,” the creature hissed in Patton’s ear. “You see, Patton, this is the real Logan. You're just seeing it for the first time.”

The cold blade touched Patton’s stomach, and he locked up. His voice stuck in a silent scream. He watched the colors around him swirl together, blurring into an uncomfortable watercolor painting. 

Patton’s body jolted off the table. It hurt to breathe. His body felt stuck underwater. A harsh voice whispered in his ear. 

You see? He’d cut out your heart without any hesitation.

Logan doesn’t care about you.

No one cares about you. 

Why would they care about you? 

They hate you. 

They don't even miss you. 

Wouldn't it be better if you just faded into nothing? 

Patton struggled against his surroundings to cover his ears with his hands. No, it was wrong. This was still just an illusion. 

It had to be. 

He couldn't let it win. Everyone was counting on him. 

A warm, comforting touch erupted from his chest. Patton looked down but saw nothing. 

Patton tested his voice, “Logan-”

The warmth faded into a cold darkness. Patton continued, his hands slowly sliding off his ears. If he could reach him, maybe they could still get through this.

Patton continued, “-you can still do the right thing. If… if we bother you that much, we could talk about it. We could make sure your needs are being met too. You're important to us. You're important to me. Don't let it control you. You're smart enough to beat it.”

He pauses and smiled through his tears. 

“I trust you, kiddo.”

\--

Virgil watched Roman pull for the second time on the string stuck to Patton’s chest. He growled in frustration and drew his sword. 

Virgil’s hand gripped his arm. 

Roman snapped his head up with his voice, “Let me go.”

“You cut that thing off him and who knows what’ll happen. What if it traps them there?”

“And what if it doesn't?”

A tar bubble popped loudly beside them and splattered them both with black slime. Roman pulled his grip from Virgil and put his sword to the side. 

He ran a hand through his hair, smearing it with a black streak, and muttered, ‘Well I'm open to ideas.”

Virgil stood and looked around. “If we could find the head, we could shine a light on it and chase it back into the subconscious.”

“Yes, because that worked so well the last few times.”

“You know what-”

A black stream of muck bubbled from the floor between Logan and Patton and shot straight out of the floor like a geyser. The creature towered above them, its eyes narrowed and teeth bared. Virgil pulled Roman backward. It clenched its hands and let out a roar. The two sides covered their ears as the library shook around them. Books fell from the shelves and clattered to the floor.

Its eyes were wild and unfocused. Virgil couldn’t help but notice the hole in its stomach, dripping with some sort of green slime. The creature clutched its middle and hissed. Its eyes flashed over to Logan, and its hand sharpened into claws.

Roman grabbed his sword and reacted. The creature swung down, and Roman sliced its arm off before it could injure Logan further. The creature roared out and turned its attention to Roman. Its hand grew back. Roman twisted his sword in his grip and aimed for the hole in its chest. He threw his sword and punctured it in the same spot.

The creature squirmed as it fought against the sword in its chest. That deathly roar shook the library once again. It melted, sputtering and coughing, into a dark heap on the ground. The ink started to melt off the walls and ceiling, landing in thick puddles on the floor.

The library died into silence, save for Roman’s harsh breathing.

Virgil slowly stepped to his side and put a hand on Roman’s shoulder.

“I think you just saved your nerd in distress.”

“You… you really think it’s gone for good this time?”

“Well I do see it dead on the floor, so I mean-”

Roman let out a triumphant laugh. He dug around the spoils and retrieved a very dark black sword. He wiped it off on his pants and slid it back in its place on his hip.

A small noise froze him, and he watched Patton’s eyes flutter open. For a moment, Patton stared up at the ceiling, his chest shaking as he breathed, and tears slipping down the side of his face.

Roman came to his side and kneeled, his hand gently brushing over Patton’s hair.

“It’s okay. It can’t hurt you anymore,” his voice spoke, unusually soft.

Virgil was on Patton’s other side, pulling the loose strands of slime off his chest.

“You know, next time you decide to be heroic, let us know so we can help, okay? You scared the crap out of us.”

Patton’s eyes glanced between the two of them, slowly gaining a sense of his surroundings. He tried to sit up, but rested his head back on the floor, finding it hard to move.

“I’m sorry,” he spoke. “I thought I could help him. He… it-”

“Everything’s going to be fine,” Roman reassured him. 

“But Logan-”

“He’ll be okay too,” Virgil interrupted. “For some reason, that creature reappeared wounded, and Roman easily took care of it.” He glanced up as Roman’s grin beamed.

Roman chuckled before replying, “Ding, dong, the witch is dead.”

Patton’s eyebrows furrowed. “But my deal-”

“Yeah, about that,” Virgil grumbled. Patton shrunk away from him, and he lowered his voice. “We’ll make sure he returns all of Logan’s books, don’t worry.”

Patton turned his head to look over at Logan. The other side didn’t stir, and Patton’s hand twitched as he tried to reach out to him. His arm muscles ached. A glint of annoyance flickered in his eyes before he let out a heavy sigh.

“He’s going to be okay, right?”

Roman’s grin softened. “I have no doubt with the creature finally gone Logan will return to his usual self.”

Virgil sighed and looked at the thick black puddles on the floor. Green slime mixed with black sludge, creating a toxic mess on the floor. It hadn’t moved since Roman threw his sword. Virgil couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

Finally, this nightmare was over.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now with the monster gone, everyone starts to try and heal from the experience.  
> \--  
> Chapter warnings: Minor violence mention, crying, and lots of much needed comfort  
> Word count: 2030

Patton’s body lacked the strength to move. Roman carefully picked him up in his arms, noting how Patton’s body shivered against him. Patton relaxed as he wrapped his arms around Roman’s neck and rested his forehead against his shoulders. His body fell into a comforting peace. Roman smiled before he turned his attention back to Virgil.

“You think you can carry Logan?” he asked.

Virgil sighed and replied, “I don’t trust myself to do it without dropping him.”

“It’s fine. You stay here and keep a watch over him, and I’ll take Patton to get some rest.” Roman sighed through his nose. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Take your time,” Virgil replied. They both knew the urgency of the situation dissipated with that creature’s dying breath. Roman carried Patton off, who closed his eyes and somehow fell back to sleep, and disappeared between the shelves of the library.

Virgil looked down at Logan, his face still flushed from the fever, and frowned. They had to get those books back. He was convinced it was the only way to further help Logan.

Unless…

Virgil ran a hand through Logan’s hair, noting how soaked it was from the sweat. Logan’s forehead continued to burn Virgil’s frozen fingertips.

“Logan?” Virgil called out. His voice bounced off the bookshelves. He sighed and swallowed. “Logan, can you hear me? It’s Virgil.”

Wow, did he feel stupid.

He rubbed his arm and looked around. No one could see him talking to himself. No one could hear him. Well, he hoped Logan could hear him, but still. There was nothing to be anxious about. Besides, Logan needed him, and his dumb thoughts could shut up.

He took a breath and tried again. 

“Logan… Logan, can you hear me? If you’re listening, just know I’m here for you.”

Logan’s face never stirred. Virgil sighed. Of course it wouldn’t work. Of course Logan couldn’t hear him. He was still-

“I never knew you were so soft with them.”

Virgil glanced up and narrowed his eyes. He rose to his full height and clenched his jaw.

“Okay, we destroyed your monster. Now give Logan back all the books you stole.”

Virgil relished at the annoyed glance of his target’s eye. 

He crossed his arms over his chest. “And if I don’t?”

“I could always get Roman back to reprise that spat you two had in Logan’s room.”

A sigh and a click of the tongue. “You think you can trust me to return all those books and not harm Logan further? It’d be easy to take his place-”

“You will return those books. You will then leave us alone, and if I ever find you messing with any of them again like this, it won’t be just Roman with a sword to your neck.”

He hummed. “You’ve grown quite cunning in your time away from the subconscious.”

“Did I?” Virgil shot back. “You know I don’t make empty threats.”

He considered Virgil’s words before looking at the pile of black and green slime around them.

“I guess the game is over. Perhaps it’s time to bring some normalcy back to Thomas’s life. However, I’m sure this encounter has scarred him enough for me to be able to win a seat at your table, you know, the one you play pretend with the others at.”

Virgil continued to stare, not acknowledging his statement.

He continued, “As threatening as a kitten. Don’t worry, Virgil. You’ve seen the last of me for a while.”

And with that, he sunk through the floor and left Virgil in silence once again.

“Virgil?” Roman called out. He ran up to the clearing, taking in Virgil’s rapidly breathing chest and stiff form. Roman walked to his side and looked around. “What happened? What spooked you? I heard two voices.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Virgil responded. “Just… let’s get Logan out of here. The sooner he’s home, the sooner this mess will get fixed.”

“I agree,” Roman grumbled, “as soon as we find that lowlife Deceit and get him to fix it.”

Virgil shook his head. “He’ll fix it.”

“If you say you trust him, I will throw you off the highest bookshelf I can find.”

Virgil snorted and replied, “Relax, Princey, I just threatened him if he didn’t return the books, you’d cut him in half.”

“Damn straight I would, and that’s the only thing I’m straight about.”

Virgil shook his head and lightly laughed. Roman picked Logan up into his arms, and they made their way together out of the library. 

\--

Virgil continued to stay with Logan throughout the afternoon and into the night. He and Roman agreed one of them should watch over Patton to make sure the moral side didn’t exhaust himself after his encounter. They both knew Patton would want to make sure Logan was okay and continue to make him food. They knew he’d try to keep helping.

However, they didn’t expect Patton to wake up screaming.

Virgil rose to his feet as Patton’s scream echo through the hall. Did that thing come back? Were they okay? He glanced back at Logan, who remained blissfully unaware of the events unfolding. As Virgil walked to the door to tear it open, he heard Roman yelling over Patton’s scream that everything was okay. The noise died down and replaced with Patton’s sobs. 

Virgil’s heart broke. He knew was that was like. How many times did that creature poison his mind and make his nightmares feel like reality? How many times had he woke up in a cold sweat, containing his screams for the others to not leave him? He brought his hands up to rub his arms.

Roman would get him through this. Virgil repeated over and over to let the two be. No matter how much he wanted to comfort Patton, he couldn’t leave Logan’s side. Just in case. He fell very ungracefully into the chair beside Logan and let out a heavy sigh.

The creature may be gone, but he feared its scars ran too deep for them to fix.

The night drug on, and Virgil's head nodded off several times. He woke when he heard shifting books in the library doors and smirked. Deceit was surprisingly keeping up his end of the deal. He wondered if he actually grew a heart or if he just didn’t want to suffer at Roman’s blade. Still, he was fixing his work.

His work lasted through the night and into the next day. 

Virgil woke with a start and glanced around. Logan’s condition still remained undisturbed, and he grumbled. The smell of fresh coffee stirred him from his thoughts, and he looked over to his left. 

Both his and Logan’s favorite mugs sat by the fan filled with warm coffee. Virgil sighed and took his cup back to his seat. Patton either slipped by Roman or was allowed to regain some normalcy. Maybe that meant Patton would be okay. Maybe that meant he wouldn’t be tortured every night by the same hell Virgil was.

However, Patton was very good at hiding his negative feelings.

He finished his coffee and decided to return the cup down to the kitchen. As he came down the stairs, he heard Patton’s soft humming from the sink, the same song that Thomas sang to them the other day. Roman sat at the table, his head cradled in his hand as he watched Patton buzz about the kitchen, a fond expression on his face.

Virgil entered and disturbed Roman from his bliss. Roman quick caught his defensive expression and offered a smile.

“Well, good morning,” Roman spoke.

Patton’s body tensed before he turned.

“Oh, Virgil, how did you sleep?” A too bright a smile sat on his face.

“Fine,” Virgil responded. He joined Roman at the table and sent a glance his way. Roman cleared his throat and went back to his breakfast. “How are you feeling this morning, Pat?”

“Oh, okay,” Patton responded with a sigh. He returned to his work at the sink. The answer set a deep frown on Virgil’s lips.

“Patton-”

“I’m okay, kiddo. Really.”

“Don’t lie.”

The phrase stopped Patton in his tracks. His shoulders slacked as his head drooped toward his chest. Roman flashed an expression of annoyance at Virgil, but he ignored it.

“I know what that thing says,” Virgil continued, his voice calm. “I know how it makes you feel utterly worthless, how it makes you think no one cares about you. It hurts. It leaves deep scars in your chest, ones you never really recover from. I know what it’s like to go through it alone, and I don’t want you to have to suffer like that. So please don’t lie, to us or yourself.” 

Patton’s shoulders shook. Virgil stood from his chair and walked over to Patton’s side.

“I’m sorry,” Patton whispered.

Virgil’s heart broke. He held his arms out, and Patton collapsed into them, crying into his shoulder. Virgil rested his head on top of Patton’s hair and took in deep breaths for the both of them. 

“I know. Don’t worry, I’m here for you. We’re here for you. You don’t go through this alone.”

He looked over at Roman, who offered a concerned look and rose to his feet. He brought his arms around both Patton and Virgil, feeling Patton’s back relax against his chest.

“That’s right,” Roman’s voice held tenderness, “and we’re going to fight through this together. We’re a family, and families don’t let each other down.”

Patton nodded his head against Virgil's chest, a small smile pushing his tears away.

They stayed like that for a few moments until Patton calmed himself. Virgil thanked Patton for his coffee and returned to his position at Logan’s side. He heard Deceit continuing to work on Logan’s library and almost checked on him several times, but he figured the threat of Roman’s blade was enough incentive.

Patton returned to his normal schedule, bringing Logan lunch and then supper. Virgil knew the soup would get cold, and they’d end up throwing it out later, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Roman offered to take over and give Virgil some rest, but he declined. He knew Roman could see the makeup wore off long ago, revealing the natural bags under his eyes, but Virgil promised he’d sleep after Logan woke.

Again, he was left alone with Logan in the thick darkness of night.

Virgil let his head lean against his chest. The white noise from the fan started to blur his sense of the waking world. A little rest wouldn’t hurt, right? He let his eyes close, the comforting pull of his eyelid blanket taking the sting away.

For a moment he lost himself.

At least he did until two coughs shook him from his sleep. He groaned as he lifted his stiff neck to look before him. 

Logan’s eyes stared up at the stars, his brows furrowed in confusion. 

Wait. Logan’s eyes. 

He was awake.

Virgil jumped out of his seat, eager to rush to Logan’s side, but he stopped himself short. Excitement was the last thing Logan needed at the moment. He settled for returning to his chair and pulling it a little closer. Already tears lined his eyes.

Virgil settled on light teasing, and Logan looked just as shocked as Virgil felt to be awake. One by one, the other sides came in, until they all were around Logan, offering him support and bringing him back to reality.

Virgil didn’t miss the way Logan kept glancing around, the way his shoulders stiffened, the fear that ran through his eyes every once and awhile. His heart ached. Virgil knew that feeling all too well. Logan may have woken up, but his nightmares were just beginning, and this one was very real.

He looked at the other two, unaware of Logan’s struggles. At least, if they were aware, they didn’t let on they knew. Roman went on about what happened while Logan was asleep, and Patton kept a constant hold on Logan’s hand, squeezing every once and awhile. Virgil couldn’t help but smile at the sentiment.

Logan wouldn’t be facing his fears alone any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading this far in! I'm forever humbled by the reception this series and Hear no Evil have got! You've killed me with kindness. <3
> 
> I was pretty anxious posting this story because I was afraid people would get bored if they knew the ending of Hear No Evil. However, I was pleasantly surprised how many people loved reading what was going on when Logan had his nightmares.
> 
> There will be little one-shots in the future of how the other sides cope with the trauma he and they have gone through, but I'm unsure of when they will appear. I have other projects that need to be worked on, and stories that I'd love to dive into.
> 
> If you'd like, you can follow me on Tumblr @anxious-ball-of-sunshine for some fics that don't make it onto Ao3. 
> 
> And again, thank you so much for all your support. I really couldn’t have done any of this without you <3


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